A Family Outing
by kirbyfan1996
Summary: The Doctor takes Amy and Rory to an unusual place for Christmas: a world full of creatures known as Pokémon. Then again, with an evil organization out to conquer it, it just might be another typical family outing for them.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: The idea for this came from a dream I had. I felt like writing this, but I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update.**

**Disclaimer: I own neither Doctor Who nor Pokémon. If I did, I would have given Amy and Rory a full season to say good-bye and not just half, I would have given a full season between the 11th Doctor and Clara before he has to die, and Pokémon would not be on season whatever it's on now. Any and all rights related to Doctor Who belong to the BBC and its affiliates. Any and all rights related to Pokémon belong to Nintendo and its affiliates.**

* * *

To almost anyone in the world, the blue building with the red car in front of it was a completely normal place, especially during Christmas amidst the snow-covered landscape of many similar looking households. However, those same people would not be able to see the blue box in front that same household. That household belonged to the Williams family, which (as far as the rest of the world knew) consisted of a couple: Amy and Rory. Amy was Scottish born woman with a shade of ginger that made certain people highly envious. Rory was a man with a somewhat plain appearance, compensated by a fiercely strong loyalty to his wife.

It was Christmas evening, and the two inhabitants had two guests who were at the same time most unusual to have in their home and most ordinary. One of them was a man who appeared to be the same age as the couple. He was called the Doctor, his real name shrouded in mystery. He had, without a doubt, the strangest sense of fashion in the universe. He wore a light brown tweed jacket, a Stetson he was given from his old flat mate, and a red bowtie that practically screamed alien, especially with his wild hairstyle. Maybe it was because he was an alien, a Time Lord to be precise. He was 1103 years old and had only come over because he realized that they had missed him since he stopped taking them out on adventures throughout all of time and space. He had a good reason to: they might not survive if he continued to drag them everywhere and everywhen. Still, it didn't mean that he couldn't spend Christmas with them. After all, they were his parents-in-law.

The other guest was a woman who appeared to be anywhere between her late thirties and early forties. River Song had extremely curly blond hair and always carried a pistol, for when her husband got carried away with crazy hats. She only let him off with his Stetson because it actually looked mildly impressive, but, if he so much as picked up a fez, she would not hesitate to destroy it. She wore a white jacket and some tight-fitting black pants. She had been abducted as a child by an organization called the Silence, raised to kill the Doctor, and sentenced to prison in Stormcage, the highest security jail in the universe. However, she didn't always stay in jail because she didn't actually kill the Doctor. She married him.

The Doctor had just finished relaying his story of what he had done before he decided to show up for supper. It had involved him, a widow, and a wardrobe. It was almost time to leave as he couldn't risk staying with them too long, lest some alien decided that, since the Doctor was here, it was the perfect time to launch an invasion.

"Are you sure you can't stay a bit longer?" Amy asked him. "It has been a few years for us since we've seen you."

The Doctor smiled sadly to the woman he had first met when, one night in her childhood, he had accidentally crash landed in her backyard. "Sorry, but I have to get going. I promised a friend that I would get to his stag party, and I missed his last 214." He chuckled at the memory of a certain Captain Jack Harkness.

Rory glanced at the Doctor and gave him a quasi-serious warning. "As long as you don't pop out of his cake." He still hadn't forgiven the Doctor for that time when he popped out of the cake at his stag party.

The Doctor pouted in an overwhelmingly childlike way. "Alright, I won't. At least not this time…"

They were interrupted by a warning sound coming from the police box. "I better get that," the Doctor said. He grinned and hurriedly ran off into his box. The only way to describe its interior is the way so many had described it before: it's bigger on the inside. That was because it wasn't a police box. It was the last TARDIS in the universe, the Doctor's method of travelling, his home, and his one constant companion. He sprinted for the center of the console and glanced at the monitor. He saw Amy and Rory enter soon after.

"Alright," Amy started, "what's the big emergency this time?"

The Doctor had a somewhat concerned look on his face. "It's a crack in the fabric of the universe."

Amy's eyes widened in shock and fear. The last time she had encountered cracks in time and space, they were ominous warnings from the Silence, the same organization that had taken her daughter away from her and raised the girl to kill the Doctor. The cracks were able to erase anything from existence; it had even once consumed her husband. The Doctor was able to stop the cracks from being created, but the idea that there was even one left in existence horrified her.

The Doctor recognized this look and quickly gave a grin in hopes of reassuring her that this thought was not reality. "No, Amy, it's not a crack in time and space threatening to undo the entire universe."

Amy sighed in relief but tensed up again as Rory asked, "So, what is it, then?"

The Doctor continued to smile. "It's a connection to a parallel universe."

Both pairs of eyes flickered with curiosity. "A parallel universe?" they both inquired.

The Doctor nodded. "It used to be that travel between parallel universes was easy, but it's not anymore…" The Doctor looked up to see if the inevitable question about why would be asked, but both Amy and Rory knew from the look in his eyes that it had to do with the destruction of his species, a subject they preferred to leave be. "Anyways, it seems to be a pretty stable connection, meaning that a TARDIS could travel through without a scratch. I have to seal the crack—wouldn't want the Daleks or some other race like them getting into a whole new universe—but who says we can't pay a visit first?"

The married couple turned to face each other, excitement evident on their faces. "We're really going to a parallel universe?"

"Why not? It's a once in a lifetime opportunity, unlike Jack's stag parties. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I missed one more. Let me just look for my wife, and we'll be off!" The Doctor turned towards the doors and exited.

* * *

"Wifey!" the Doctor shouted as he got inside. "Come along! We're going on a little family outing for a parallel universe!"

"Oh, really?" River asked as she got up from the sofa. "Which one?"

"I don't know, but it's a stable connection. We'll only pop in and out, and then I'm sealing it."

River smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, my love, but I have something that I need to do."

The Doctor frowned. "Really? It's a parallel universe, a once in a lifetime opportunity!"

"Believe me, I'd love to go, but I wouldn't have to do this if you'd been more careful with our wedding rings."

"It was a busy day! We needed to leave them to get away from the Slitheen!"

"And you never took the time to get them back! You were the one who left our wedding rings on Raxacoricofallapatorius, and I'm the one who's going to get them back."

The Doctor smacked his head. "Alright, fine! Just do it quickly, and come join us before it closes, okay?"

She smiled. "Alright, sweetie. Until next time." She punched in coordinates into her vortex manipulator and disappeared.

* * *

"So, what do you suppose awaits us?" Rory asked.

"Does it really matter?" his wife responded. "It's a whole new universe!"

"I guess not, seeing as we normally don't know where or when we're going."

The Doctor re-entered the TARDIS. "Sorry about the wait. Your daughter said she had more important things to do."

"Like what?" Amy asked. "Getting your wedding rings back?"

"Something like that…" the Doctor murmured, his eyes momentarily darting for the corner of the room before facing the two again. "Oh well, her loss! Off we go!"

He danced for the controls and pulled down a level. The TARDIS's familiar noise signaled its disappearance from that particularly point in time and space as it sped towards the crack in the universe. All three in the TARDIS stumbled as some turbulence occurred during the passage. It soon stopped and the noise started again, signaling materialization somewhere in the new universe. The Doctor stood up to look at the monitor.

"Right, so, here we are! According to the TARDIS, we are on…Earth!" He then added quietly, "Well that's rubish…another parallel Earth…"

Amy noticed that comment. "What do you mean by another Earth? Have you done this more than you've let on?"

The Doctor answered, though he continued to scan the monitor. "No, the last time I travelled to a parallel universe was when I was 904…" A look of sadness passed his face before he stood up. "Anyway, this isn't that same Earth. According to the TARDIS, this universe differs from ours because of the existence of something called Pokémon." When he saw the stares of shock on his friends' faces, he asked, "What? Is that bad?"

Rory recovered from shock first. "So, you're saying that there's a whole universe where Pokémon are real?"

The Doctor looked confused. "Yes, why is that bothering you two? What are 'Pokémon'?"

"You seriously don't know what Pokémon are?"

"Sarah Jane might have mentioned them to me once when she was talking about how she brought up her son, Luke. And I might have seen some toy with that name when I worked at that toy shop, but I don't seem to recall what they actually were."

Amy came out of shock and started laughing at the Doctor. "You're supposed to know everything that ever existed, but you don't know what Pokémon are?"

The Doctor looked thoroughly flustered. "I only know everything that ever happened or ever will in our own universe. Sue me! I don't know what Pokémon are!"

Rory chuckled for a moment but soon took it upon himself to introduce the Doctor to the world of Pokémon while Amy continued to laugh. Apparently, they existed in their universe as a widely popular brand that made video games, TV shows, trading cards, and a variety of other things that the Doctor found not so interesting.

"I should probably learn whatever I can before we decide to open those doors. What do you say, old girl," now conversing with his ship. "Got anything about Pokémon?"

A hum emanated in the console room, and a box appeared in front of the Doctor. "Thank you, Sexy," he delightedly said to the TARDIS's delight. He quickly scanned through a device that was called a Pokédex, a device that contained information on all the Pokémon ever discovered. He also read maps about each of the regions that this world was divided into, as well as a little bit of history. He looked up from these once Amy had finally stopped laughing.

"Finally finished then, Amy?"

"Yeah, yeah I am, Doctor."

"Right, then. Now, that I've got both of your attentions, I should point out that we seem to have landed in an area that doesn't seem to like humans much. In fact, they seem to be very hostile towards them. It seems to be highly populated with loads of Pokémon, so it might not be safe for you two to just waltz around…"

"And it would be for you?" Amy retorted.

"Yes, it would. For one, I'm not human. I'm Time Lord. Also, the TARDIS will allow me to understand exactly what they say, so there won't be a communication barrier for me. You two, on the other hand, are as thoroughly human as can be, and I don't suppose even the TARDIS's translation matrix will allow you two understand them. It's hard for the old girl to work on such a remote universe."

"Great, so we manage to go where a bunch of people back home can only dream about, and we're dead if we so much as take one step out those doors."

"Not quite," the Doctor responded. "I think the TARDIS packed something in that box that might be very useful.

Noticing that the Doctor wasn't moving to get it, Rory took the bait. "Alright, so, what do you have in mind?" he cautiously asked.

The Doctor was absolutely beaming. "I'm very glad you asked that, Rory!" He ran for the box and pulled out a ridiculous looking helmet. "The TARDIS packed a variation of my chameleon arch!"

"And that is useful…how?"

"Oh, that's right. I never told you what a chameleon arch is. Basically a standard chameleon arch is a device that rewrites a Time Lord's biological code using standard human coding, allowing them to hide themselves as humans. This device, if I'm right—and I usually am—will allow you two to disguise yourselves as Pokémon, allowing you to walk among them without arousing suspicion."

Rory suddenly looked sick while Amy looked excited. "We can actually become real, living Pokémon?" she excitedly asked.

"Yup! That sounds exciting, doesn't it?"

"It sounds painful," Rory complained.

Though Amy shot a cold look at her husband, the Doctor sheepishly admitted that it very well could be painful. "The last time I used a chameleon arch, it hurt like hell. It's something I'd rather not do if I can help it."

"You see, Amy? Even the Doctor wouldn't do it!"

"Oh, grow up, you big baby!" she retorted. "Weren't you the one who pretended to…"

Rory grimaced at the thought of that memory. "I'd rather not talk about **that** incident…"

"Then stop being a baby and go for it! Come on, it'll be fun!"

Rory looked at the helmet again and still looked doubtful. "Ladies first."

"Chicken," she teased. "You socked Adolf Hitler, but you're too afraid for this? I'll show you it's not that bad. Alright, Doctor, set me up!"

The Doctor looked at Amy a bit uneasily. "Rory does have a good reason to be concerned…I should warn you that the process is excruciatingly painful and can result in complications including but not limited to memory loss, physical impairments, and death."

Amy walked up to the Doctor and smacked him with all her strength, which, unfortunately for the Doctor, was a lot. He fell down and dropped the modified arch, moaning about why the mothers always gave their worst punishment to him. "You're supposed to be making my husband more confident, not less. Now, go on!"

The Doctor sighed and picked up the arch. "Alright, but don't be upset if you somehow get an unimpressive form. I have no idea what you'll turn into, so pray for the best." He set the arch on her head. "I'll also need yours and Rory's wedding rings."

"What, why?" they both asked.

"One: it will look strange for two Pokémon to be wearing wedding rings. Two: they could be easily stolen, especially if they no longer fit you. Three: you wouldn't want to lose your wedding rings in a parallel universe. Trust me, my first wife was very mad when she found out I left it on a parallel Raxacoricofallapatorius, and River certainly wasn't happy when I did it again on our Raxacoricofallapatorius. What is it with me and losing wedding rings on Raxacoricofallapatorius, anyway?"

They argued a bit, but they soon handed over their rings. Once he secured them safely onto the TARDIS console, the Doctor activated the arch and a bright light engulfed the room. Rory could only hear Amy's screams of pain, and his concern was driving him mad. However, as soon as it started, the process completed. As Rory regained his sight, he struggled to make out the features of his wife. She appeared to possess a vulpine body and was covered in a bright, golden fur. She seemed to have more than one set of tails, and her red eyes pierced his very soul. The flowing hair beside her ears looked like a blazing fire ready to scorch anything. Still, he could see her smile still belonged to her, despite being on a foreign snout.

Sensing Rory's apprehension, Amy started to worry. "_So, how do I look?_" Amy cautiously asked. "_I didn't become a bug or something, did I?_"

Though Rory didn't understand a word she said per say, he figured that it would be something about her appearance. "Y—You—You're a Ninetales…"

Her eyes perked up as a full body mirror appeared for her use. Amy was fascinated as she saw whatever she did reflected right in front of her. It was unusual looking into the mirror and not seeing the body she had spent her entire life in, but, at the same time, it was definitely cool and unique. Something that would not have ever happened if that raggedy man hadn't crash landed in her yard all those years ago.

"_I think I look hot!_" she proudly declared.

The Doctor smacked himself on the forehead. "That was a really bad pun, Amy…"

"Sorry, what did she say?"

"Don't worry about it, Rory. We'll deal with the language barrier shortly." The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver to analyze Amy. "Let's have a look at what this machine did." He moved the screwdriver all over her body, being careful not to get too close to her lest he suffer her wrath. "Interesting, right now you're biologically 99.9% Ninetales, and an amazing specimen at that! There's still .1% of your original DNA, so that might make a significant difference. Now for a mental check to make sure everything's alright! Now, Amy, when did I first climb out of the TARDIS, what year was it, and what was the first thing I asked for?"

"_When I was a little girl,__ 1996, and an apple._"

"Very good. How many years did you wait until I came back, who was threatening to incinerate the Earth once I did, and why?"

"_Twelve years, the Atraxi, and Prisoner Zero._"

"Excellent! Now, the most important question of all, how do I look?"

"_You look like an idiot. Especially with that bowtie._"

The Doctor scowled. "Bowties are cool!" For his opinion, Amy unleashed a Flamethrower attack on him, setting him and his bowtie on fire. "Ow! Hot! Too hot! And my bowtie! Not my bowtie! Why do mothers always do things like this to me?!" Luckily for him, the TARDIS had a way of saving him from burning too much. A torrent of water poured all over him, smothering the fire but not before the bowtie was burnt to a crisp. The Doctor swore in anger to avenge his bowtie, but Amy looked satisfied with herself.

"_That was a warning. So watch your mouth, raggedy man._"

The Doctor quickly retreated to get a change of clothes, coming back shortly after with fear evident in his face and a hand covering his bowtie. He left his Stetson in his room for fear it might be burnt to a crisp next. "Right, I'm not going to mess with Amy on this one. Rory, do me a favor and keep reminding me to watch my tongue. Anyways, Amy, you check out fine, meaning that you didn't lose your memories. That's very good news. Normally these things wipe out your memories which would defeat the purpose of this family outing, but it seems like you've defied that…despite your new pyromania." He grimaced for a moment before breaking out into a grin. "Alright, Rory! Your turn!"

Rory sighed and took the arch lying on the ground. "The pain doesn't last too long, does it?" Amy shook her head. "Right, then. Geronimo!"

Like before, light flooded the room once the arch was activated. Rory's screams were more restrained, as he tried to tell himself that, if Amy could do it, so could he despite the pain he was now enduring. Once again, the machine's work was done very quickly, and the light soon dispersed. The mirror turned towards Rory as he took his turn to look at his reflection. He had grown a bit, and his skin's color had turned into a shade of red. He had grown a tail with a flame at the end, and sharp claws had appeared on his hands. The most striking feature was his new wings, which were definitely a sight to behold.

The sound of the Doctor's screwdriver once again emanated as the Doctor scanned Rory. "99.9% Charizard, .1% Rory. Nothing broken, that's good. Alright, questions. Now, what were you doing when I first met you and why?"

"_I was taking a photo of a man and his dog because he couldn't be there. He was in a coma induced by Prisoner Zero_."

"Good. Now, when we were having the shared dream how and why did you die?"

"_An alien in an old person shot gas at Amy, but I couldn't let her die. I jumped in front of her and took it myself._"

"One more. If your wife needed to be protected for a very long time, how long would you wait to keep her safe?"

"_I don't care how long it would take, whether it be 2,000 years or until the end of time, I would never leave her side until she was safe._"

Amy smiled and walked up to him. "_Good husband._" She jumped and pecked him on his cheek.

The Doctor looked away and picked up two items in the box. One of them was a red object that resembled a collar. The other was a bracelet with flames. "Alright, you two should have something on you that will be useful to protect you and allow me to easily spot you. Rory, you can have this bracelet. Amy, you can have this collar." Before they could react, the Doctor shoved the bracelet onto Rory's right wrist and the collar onto Amy's neck.

"_This blasted thing is choking me!_" Amy protested.

"_Doctor, this is a bangle. Like those ones a new bride would wear. Wouldn't it make more sense if Amy wore this and I had the collar?_"

"Of course not! You have a Flame Bangle, and Amy has an Afire Collar. Though they both have the same effect, the first is meant for a Charizard and the second is meant for a Ninetales. At least, that's what I read in this guide dealing with something called "Exclusive Items." You know how Fire is weak against Water? These things, when used correctly, will protect you from a damaging Water type move and actually heal you, so you will not need to worry about any water putting out your fire."

The Doctor used his sonic on the collar to loosen it a bit. "_Much better, Doctor._"

He smiled, relieved that he wouldn't be burnt to a crisp right now. "Right, so there's a whole new world right behind those doors in a whole new universe. Are you two ready?" They nodded as the Doctor was ready to open the doors. "Well then, Geronimo!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I got this chapter done relatively fast. Don't expect future updates to come as quickly, especially now that I've got another story up and that school is coming back. This chapter turned out much better than I expected, and I hope you like it.**

**Special shoutout to Darth's Daughter, who was the first user to favorite, follow, and review this. Thank you for doing all that.**

* * *

The sun was shining as a Piplup, a Pokémon that resembled a blue penguin, with a polka dot ribbon and a Chimchar, a Pokémon that resembled a red monkey, with a polka dot scarf slumbered in their home. It was a cave etched onto the face of a cliff in the shape of a Sharpedo. It was a strange place for two Pokémon to live, stranger still that it was the base of Team Poképals. It was the exploration team that had prevented the creation of the Dark World, a world forever frozen in time.

Piplup woke up first. Noticing that his partner wasn't up yet, he decided to take a stroll past Treasure Town to the beach where he had woken up at when he first arrived. It was quiet in town, though he figured that it was because it was very early in the morning. Soon, he found himself on that beach, the sunrise glistening on the sea. A Krabby was up, and its bubbles made the scene quite a sight to behold.

He felt at peace and fell into a nostalgic reverie. He remembered how he had first awoken to the sight of Chimchar asking him if he was alright. He had felt like fainting because there could not have been such a thing as a talking Pokémon. The truth, however, struck him greatly when he looked into the sea and saw his reflection. For, he knew that he wasn't always a Piplup. He remembered a time when he was human, but that was the only piece of his past that he remembered. He didn't even know his own name, and it was one piece of his past that had never come back to him.

However, he didn't have time to feel sorry for himself because a Zubat and a Koffing knocked into Chimchar and stole his most important possession, a stone with a strange insignia. He immediately agreed to help Chimchar get his treasure back, and the two defeated the thieves with ease. Afterwards, Chimchar told him his dream to form an exploration team in order to find out the truth of the stone. Calling himself by his new species, Piplup was ready to trust the kind Pokémon and form Team Poképals. Thus, they joined the Wigglytuff Guild to learn the ways of the land, going on many missions to help other Pokémon. They became part of a large family which included Bidoof, Corphish, Sunflora, Loudred, Diglett, Dugtrio, Chimecho, Chatot, and Wigglytuff. All of them were quirky in their own ways, but they made a great family that made him feel at home despite the unusual circumstances.

Soon, events unfolded that took him on a journey that was greater than anything he could have imagined. Team Poképals learned of a Pokémon called Grovyle stealing the Time Gears, artifacts that were vital to keeping the flow of time going. Time froze in the areas where they were stolen, and, if they were all stolen, the entire world might have stopped. Together with a Pokémon called Dusknoir, Piplup and Chimchar were able to trick Grovyle and capture him. However, Dusknoir took them all through a portal into a land of darkness. This was the future of the world in which all time was stopped. In a twist of fate, Piplup and Chimchar learned that Grovyle was not trying to create this world. Rather, he was trying to prevent it from happening while Dusknoir, under the influence of his master, desired to keep things the same. It was also revealed that Piplup had been Grovyle's partner in this endeavor, and he resolved to finish the task.

With the help of the legendary Celebi, Piplup, Chimchar, and Grovyle were able to go back in time to try and change the future. The Time Gears were returned to their places, but time was continuing to destabilize. There was only one option: collect all the Time Gears and take them to Temporal Tower, the home of Dialga, the guardian of time. They travelled all over, collecting the Time Gears needed and locating the way to Temporal Tower. However, Dusknoir was not done trying to stop them. He assaulted them as they neared their destination with a large Sableye force. When his pawns were defeated, he desperately tried to drag them back to the future, but Grovyle kept him from taking them all. Free from further pursuit, fate rested on their shoulders to finish the job and prevent the future calamity. The destabilization drove Dialga berserk, and he threatened to destroy the two. However, Piplup and Chimchar were not to be stopped. They managed to defeat Dialga, placed the Time Gears in their proper places in the spire, and stopped the catastrophe. In doing so, the future that created Piplup never existed, and he began to fade away. He used his last moments to say good-bye to his closest friend in the Pokémon world so that Chimchar would be able to move on. Chimchar, however, never forgot about his friend, and Dialga, in order to properly thank him, used his power to restore the Pokémon in the lost future so that they might live, including the human turned Piplup.

Even though they had defied the odds and changed the future, there was still a force waiting in the shadows. This force was Darkrai, a Pokémon that fed on nightmares, darkness, and despair. He was the one who had created the bleak future that had been averted. Unable to manipulate time to create his world of darkness, he turned his attention to Palkia, the guardian of space. He used his power to create a distortion in space and convinced Palkia that the cause of it was the continued existence of Piplup, who was supposed to be dead as a result of the Poképals' success. Following this misinformation, Palkia took Piplup and Chimchar into his domain and attempted to destroy both of them, hoping that the result would mend the distortion. At the last moment, Darkrai's rival, Cresselia, intervened and shed light on the situation. Darkrai fled, but Team Poképals, along with Cresselia, pursued him. When they confronted and defeated him, Darkrai attempted to escape through a hole in time and space, but Palkia appeared and attacked as he did so. No one knew what would happen to him, though they all felt that he would no longer be the threat he was before.

"Nice morning for a stroll, huh?"

Piplup turned to see Chimchar standing next to him and smiled. "It sure is, buddy. It sure is…"

They stood there for several moments lost in their own thoughts before Chimchar asked, "So, what are you doing up so early?"

"Just remembering all of the times we've shared together. It feels like just yesterday when I woke up on this beach."

Chimchar nodded, and the peaceful silence continued. After some time, he spoke up. "We've certainly done a lot together in the past…"

"And we'll definitely do a lot more in the future…"

"But right now, we should probably rest for another big day ahead of us. It'll be at least a few hours until everyone in town gets up."

Piplup smiled. "Every day is a big day."

"And I wouldn't miss a second of it!"

"Same here. Alright, let's go." The two slowly walked back to Sharpedo Bluff, eager to take on the day.

* * *

It was a few days later when they got up when they heard a familiar squawking. "Hey! You two!"

Piplup and Chimchar turned to confirm that the voice had come from Chatot, a Pokémon that resembled a parrot with a musical note shaped head. He was often overbearing in terms of his expectations for all the Pokémon in the Guild, a stark contrast to the child-like and easy going Guildmaster Wigglytuff. Often, he acted very hot headed and paranoid, if only to protect Wigglytuff and other Guild members. However, there were two key exceptions to this rule. One of them was Wigglytuff, his closest friend in the world. For him, he would gladly do anything, but, right then, he looked extremely out of breath.

"What's up, Chatot?" Chimchar asked. "What's the big hurry?"

"Huff-huff…The beach…At the beach…"

"Is there something down at the beach?"

"Manaphy! Manaphy came back!"

And he was the other. On one particular day, Sunflora had told the entire Guild about a crack in the Surrounded Sea. There, Piplup and Chimchar journeyed to the bottom and found a mysterious egg. From it, Manaphy hatched, and he believed the two were his parents. All in the Guild adored the little guy and were happy to help raise him. However, he soon became sick because he wasn't in his natural habitat. They had to let him go so that he would grow up to be healthy, but it was a heartbreaking moment when they had to see him leave. He desperately wanted to stay, but he was dragged away by his entrusted guardian, Walrein.

Both were in shock. "Huh?! Manaphy…?" Chimchar started. "You mean the Manaphy we looked after?!"

"That's him! That's the one! Hurry! To the beach!"

"Yeah!"

They didn't waste another moment before dashing off for the beach. When they got there, Piplup and Chimchar saw a blue Pokémon staring into the seas. He turned to face them, and they saw the cute face they hadn't seen for so long. His eyes brightened as they approached him.

"Manaphy…" Chimchar started with tears in his eyes.

Tears welled up in Manaphy's eyes as well. "Piplup…Chimchar…"

"Manaphy!" It was then that Chimchar started to take in his growth. "You're really…that little Manaphy?"

"Yup, yup! I grew big in the sea! It's all…It's all because of you, Piplup and Chimchar!"

Chimchar looked like he was going to start bawling. "Oh! You remembered us!"

"Of course I didn't forget you! Not once…Not ever…I missed you!"

Neither Piplup nor Chimchar could hold in the tears any longer. As they embraced in a long overdue family hug, all expressions of happiness gushed out of each of them. They began to ask about how he had grown up with Walrein, but he first asked to be taken to the base. They obliged, and, soon, Manaphy gazed over the entire place.

"Wow…I remember this place. I hatched here, didn't I?"

"Yes, you're right," Chimchar said. "This is where we got to know each other. I'm surprised you still remember that."

"We Manaphy have the ability to remember where we hatched. So I've been told. After we grow up in the sea, we go back to the place we hatched by instinct. Mr. Walrein taught me that."

"That's impressive!"

"This is where I was hatched…That's why I felt the urge to come back here."

"Well then," Chatot spoke up, "Now that you've returned, what will you do now, Manaphy?"

"I was told that I have to decide on my own." He turned to the two. "Well, um…So, uh…I thought really hard about this and other things…I want to offer Piplup and Chimchar something for looking after me. Don't you travel and explore all over the world? I really wish I could help you when you go out on all your adventures…So, um…Uh…May I please be a member of Team Poképals?"

The cat was out of the bag. Piplup turned to face Chimchar, who looked both proud of Manaphy for having the courage to ask and unwilling to let him take that risk.

Manaphy panicked at the silence. "D-don't worry! I'm grown up now! I won't get sick like before…" Chimchar continued to stay silenced. "You don't…want me?"

Seeing Manaphy's reaction, Chimchar had to say something. "Urk…Of course we want you to stay with us! Right, Piplup?"

Piplup nodded resolutely. "Of course! We'd love to have you around!"

At his answer, Manaphy started beaming. "Really? Really, I can? Yay! I did it!" He spun around without a care in the world. "I promise I'll work hard for Team Poképals!"

Chatot was happy at the sight. "You know, we should tell the rest of the Guild that Manaphy's back! They'll be delighted to see him again!"

Manaphy was ecstatic beyond belief. "Oh! The others! I've missed them dearly, too! Let's go right away!"

As they all headed for the Guild, Piplup couldn't help but feel overjoyed to have Manaphy back. It was as if a missing piece of himself had finally come home. He knew Chimchar felt the same way, and even Chatot must have felt similar feelings. He knew that all the Guild members would feel the same way as he thought about how much of a family they all were together. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do to help them out, and, now that Darkrai was gone, he was glad that there would no longer be such grave threats to the world. The future grew brighter every day.

* * *

For the next few days, Piplup and Chimchar decided to test Manaphy's abilities. They intended to take him to the Marowak Dojo, but they had a lot of work that needed to be done. However, Manaphy came up with the idea to split up in order to maximize their time. In no time at all, they had completed all the missions that needed to be done. They then took Manaphy to the Dojo where he alone conquered all the mazes offered, including the Final Maze.

The day after this final show of strength, Piplup and Chimchar woke up early, though they continued to lie down. They were wondering what to do with Manaphy next when they heard a voice coming from outside. "Oh! Piplup! Chimchar!" They instantly got up, wondering who it was. "Good morning! Are you awake?"

"Hm?" Chimchar asked. "Who's out there?"

Before waiting for an answer, Piplup and Chimchar dashed out to find Manaphy waiting for them. "Hi, Piplup and Chimchar! Good morning!"

"Hey, it's Manaphy! Good morning to you! What brings you back here so early in the morning?"

Manaphy gave a sly smile, as if harboring some wondrous secret. "Well, um, I was on my daily morning travels…And I found a really great place!"

Chimchar looked confused. "A really great place?"

His grin grew wider. "Yep, yep! It has crystal clear water and a white-sand beach…" Manaphy's eyes grew wider, his smile stretched to the limit. "And it's got plenty of totally yummy Gummis!"

Piplup smiled at the thought. When Manaphy was still growing up in their care, he wouldn't eat anything but Blue Gummis. He himself liked those things too, as any Water type Pokémon would. When they ran out of them in storage, he and Chimchar had to go search all over in order to satisfy him. If they had known that there was such a place where such Gummis were plentiful, they would have had a much easier time.

"What is this place called?" Piplup asked.

"It's named the Marine Resort!" Manaphy replied, absolutely beaming. "It's a Pokémon paradise!"

Chimchar's eyes widened. He was evidently sharing Manaphy's enthusiasm. "The Marine Resort! A Pokémon paradise?!"

Manaphy nodded. "I couldn't wait to tell you and Piplup right away. So I cut my daily trip short and came straight here to tell you! I'll show you where it is. Can you open your map for me?"

Chimchar nodded and took out the map. Manaphy marked the spot as Piplup gazed on. It was located southwest of Treasure Town, and it wasn't that far away from the beach. They all stared at the spot for a moment before Chimchar put the map away.

"Let's go play there together sometime!"

Manaphy started to turn around, but Piplup caught his arm. "Why wait? We've already finished all the jobs that we had to do. That means today's free for whatever we want. Why not check it out now?"

Manaphy's eyes widened again. "Really? Do you mean it?"

"Certainly! What do you think, Chimchar?"

Chimchar responded by grabbing Piplup and Manaphy before dashing off to the beach. He only let go of them once they got close to the waves. Piplup jumped into the water first so that Chimchar could ride on him. Since he knew the move Surf, he would carry Chimchar on his back if they needed to travel the seas. The first time he had needed to do so, he wondered why the Lapras who could take them to the Hidden Land couldn't carry them instead. Perhaps it was because Lapras wasn't actually a part of the team. He was destined only to help the chosen ones get to Temporal Tower in order to save the world. In any case, Piplup was used to ferrying Chimchar across the ocean. He and Manaphy raced to the destination, but Manaphy was much faster. By the time Piplup and Chimchar arrived, Manaphy had already started exploring the area. His words proved to be true. The beach's sand was as white as Wigglytuff's stomach. The water was much clearer than the surrounding seas.

"This place is beautiful," Piplup murmured.

Manaphy turned to face them. "Of course it is! That's why I had to tell you about it!" His eyes darted towards a group of Pokémon that was playing in the sea. They seemed to be paying no attention to anything else as they swam in the shining waters. "Piplup, they seem to be having fun over there! Do you want to join them?"

"Well, what about Chimchar? He'll get bored if we stay there too long…"

Chimchar turned towards a cave. "I think I'm going to go check that cave out, maybe look for those Gummis that you were telling us about."

Manaphy smiled. "Right, then. Piplup, I'll race you in!" He hurried off for the waters.

"No fair! You got a head start!" Piplup raced after him, leaving Chimchar to wonder about how enthusiastic Piplup was to join him for fun.

He then set off for the cave, finding that it was a dungeon. Entering the first floor, he found that there was a lot of sand that felt very relaxing to him. There were a few Gummis in the room, as well as stairs to the next floor. He scaled the dungeon with ease, finding a variety of different Gummis along the way. There were some Pokémon who fought him along the way, but none really challenged him. He easily found his way to the final floor and found several treasure chests. It was clear that this place was good for relaxing. He had cleared his head over some of the traumatic effects the last few weeks had been for him and felt he could enjoy life without ever again worrying about some evil wanting him dead.

As he picked up the last one, he couldn't help but notice the odd item behind it. It appeared to be a red and white ball of some sort. As he moved to grab it, the ball sputtered and sparked. He instantly retreated, not knowing what might happen if he actually touched it. Curiosity soon got the better of him; after all, he was an explorer by heart. He slowly approached it again, but it didn't seem to react the same way it had before. He carefully grasped it in his paws, but nothing seemed to happen.

"What a strange item…" Chimchar wondered aloud. "Perhaps it's a new type of treasure chest?" It was the only thing he could come up with at the time. There was an expert in Treasure Town named Xatu who appraised all the treasure chests the team had encountered during its travels. If this was a kind of treasure chest, surely he would be able to ascertain its contents. Seeing nothing left on the floor, he stepped on a Warp Zone tile. He was instantly taken to the entrance of the cave, though a few hours had probably passed already.

Chimchar turned in the direction of the sea and saw Piplup's head sticking out of the sand. He looked a bit irate, but he brightened once he realized Chimchar had returned. "Hey, Chimchar! Great timing! I've been stuck here for a while now, and I was wondering if you could help me get out."

Chimchar shook his head in disbelief. "I leave you alone for a few hours, and you end up getting yourself stuck in the sand…How'd you even get like this anyway?"

"It's a very long story that began a few hours ago while we were playing in the waters. Long story short, I bet Manaphy that I could beat him in a race across the island. He won, and I got buried in the sand. Now, get me out of here!"

Chimchar sighed but soon obliged. He used Dig to get underneath Piplup and break him free. Manaphy soon appeared. "Oh! Chimchar! You're back!"

Chimchar gave him a look of disappointment. "Did you bury Piplup in the sand?"

"Well…um…yes…" he sheepishly admitted.

"Well," Chimchar stated, "that's not how you bury someone in the sand! This is how it's done!" Without further warning, Chimchar grabbed Piplup and jumped back into the hole he had dug. Soon, Piplup's head stuck out of the sand a few feet behind Manaphy.

"This isn't funny! Get me out of here!"

Chimchar jumped out next to Manaphy and joined him in a bout of laughter. This went on for a while until a friendly Sandshrew dug him out.

"Ugh," he complained, "I've to go clear my head…maybe I should go into that cave over there…"

Chimchar stopped laughing. "Oh, right! I forgot! When I was exploring that cave, I found an unusual object at the end."

When he took out the ball, Manaphy gasped. "Is that…a Poké Ball?"

They looked at him in confusion. "What's a Poké Ball?"

"Mr. Walrein taught me that a Poké Ball is a device that humans created to capture Pokémon."

"What?!" Chimchar exclaimed "How?"

"I don't know how it works, but this one seems to be broken."

Piplup got closer to the ball. "But…where did it come from…?" In all his adventures with Chimchar, he had never encountered any humans. Though he subconsciously knew that he was once one, he had no memory of what it was like being one. It didn't seem like they had even encountered this part of the world. So where did it come from?

He grasped the ball and immediately dropped to the ground. "Ugh," he murmured, "I feel that dizzy feeling again…"

Manaphy gasped. "Piplup! Are you okay?"

He was going to grab Piplup, but Chimchar stopped him. "Manaphy, Piplup has this special power that allows him to see things sometimes when he touches something. It's called the Dimensional Scream."

Manaphy frowned. "Dimensional Scream?"

Chimchar nodded. "Yes. I don't know exactly how it works, but it seems like Piplup has had that power for a long time. He can glimpse into the past or the future of whatever or whoever he touches if there is something important that has to be revealed."

"But how does he know the difference between past and future?"

"He doesn't. We have to figure that out as soon as wakes up from his vision. Right now, all we can do is wait." They looked to Piplup, hoping that, whatever Piplup was seeing, it wasn't bad.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Isn't it funny that, right when I said not to expect an update as quickly as I had when it took five days to post, I somehow was able to make another chapter the very next day? Seriously, don't expect things to happen like that. There are two factors as to why I was able to write this chapter so fast. One, I intend to be off this site for a while. Two, I happened to receive a second review from Darth's Daughter, marking the first time a user has reviewed one of my pieces multiple times. Thanks for that, by the way. Now, I mean it this time. The next update won't come for a while, so I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

_"Sir, it's almost ready," a man told his superior. He was dressed in dark brown clothes suitable for camouflage in a desert. He even had a light brown hat and a green pack which held a canteen._

_ "Good," the other replied. "The Boss will be pleased with these findings." He was dressed in a dark shade of purple. Most of his features were plain so that, should he ever find himself in danger, he would easily be able to blend in with a crowd of people._

_ "I guess we'll both be getting a huge raise once this is all over, huh?"_

_ "I'm not supposed to answer an irrelevant question such as the one you just asked…But yes, we certainly will." He stopped to gaze out the window. They were thousands of feet above the ground, suspended in a large aircraft. Below them lay a tropical island of sorts full of unsuspecting Pokémon. "I mean, think about it. A whole world untamed by mankind…it's ours for the taking, and there will certainly be a great profit in this grand venture…"_

_ His musings were interrupted by the alarm system. "WARNING! Intruder alert! Unauthorized object and life forms detected in the main corridor!"_

_ Both men sighed. "Great," the superior said, "a distraction…I wonder what it is this time?"_

_ "I'll take care of it, sir."_

_ "Alright, have at it, and then come back here as soon as you're finished."_

_ The man responded with a salute before heading off for the main corridor. He supposed this was another drill. The Boss always stressed being prepared for anything, especially after their failure to a group of children. It was a point of discussion that made the Boss extremely angry and made whoever brought it up a sorry person._

_ It wasn't very hard to see what was strange about the corridor. There was a blue box that definitely had not been loaded onto the ship. All of a sudden, the doors of the box opened and a man who appeared to be in his twenties stepped out. He wore a strange tweed jacket, suspenders, and a ridiculous looking bowtie. His face was full of surprise at the sight of the man. It was soon replaced by disappointment._

_ "Well that's rubbish…I promised a world full of Pokémon without humans, and I walk straight into a man. Thanks a lot, Sexy." He stopped his rambling long enough to look the man straight in the eye. "Sorry about my rambling. It's a bad habit of mine. I haven't even introduced myself, have I? I'm the Doctor."_

_ "The Doctor? Doctor who?"_

_ The stranger smiled, as if he had expected him to say that. "Just the Doctor, and you are?"_

_ "Er…I am…Professor Mike Smith. I am…er…an archeologist."_

_ The Doctor pointed his finger at him and laughed at the same time a Ninetales stepped out of the box. "Doctor," the Ninetales said, "it's rude to keep doing that!"_

_ He promptly stopped and straightened his bowtie. "Sorry about that. I have a thing with archeologists. Anyway, what is this place? I seem to have parked my ship in the wrong place. You see, I was going for a nice town…or a plain…or a beach…or a forest…hell, even a volcano or a desert would have been nice. All I can see around me is metal that looks like it belongs on the _Titanic_…" He suddenly stopped to feel around his clothes. "Blimey, I'm not…good I'm not wearing that tuxedo. That tuxedo has got to be the unluckiest item in the universe. I wore it on both _Titanic_s. One of them crashed in the iceberg, the other almost crashed into Buckingham Palace which would have destroyed all of London…rambling again, I apologize."_

_ "Er…you're on our airship…"_

_ "An airship of some sort? Well that's rubbish. We already have the Valiant at home. I could always just go there, though I don't think I'd really go there again. This airship does not make sense, so why am I on an airship?"_

_ "You tell me. You're the one who snuck on board this ship." He took out a red and white ball. "Start giving me some answers, or I'll send out Phil to teach you a lesson."_

_ The Doctor frowned. "Sorry, are you threatening me with someone named Phil? I've lived for 1,000 years, and that's the first time I've been threatened with someone named Phil. Course I could always threaten you with my friend named Jack, but then I'd feel sorry for you…"_

_ Mike smacked himself in the forehead. "Since you're obviously not going to comply, I have no choice." He threw the ball. "Phil, go!" The ball opened, and a red light came out. It took the shape of a humanoid with four arms and too many muscles to be healthy. The man sneered. "Meet Phil."_

_ The Machamp growled, but the Doctor seemed unfazed. "No he's not."_

_ Mike was confused. "Sorry, what?"_

_ "His name's not Phil. He says his name is Henry, and he desperately wants to get back to his wife, Leah, and his three children, April, May, and Bill. Wow, three children? That's quite a lot, I would say."_

_ Both the man and his Pokémon looked baffled. "You…can understand…_ _Pokémon?"_

_ "Of course I can! Why wouldn't I be able to?"_

_ The Ninetales tugged at the Doctor's trousers. "Doctor, you're not supposed to say that! Ordinary people can't understand Pokémon, remember? No one's supposed to know you're an alien!"_

_ "And what would be the point of that, Amy? Didn't we agree that the point of me was to be brilliant?"_

_ "Didn't River tell you not to be like this?"_

_ The Doctor looked like he was going to retort, but a Charizard stepped out. "Doctor, your mouth."_

_ He sighed. "Yes, yes. I get it, Rory. I'll stop." He then turned back to the man. "Sorry, something doesn't add up…why would an archeologist have an airship? I don't know of any archeologist with an airship. A vortex manipulator and a sonic screwdriver, maybe, but an airship? Rubbish. So, what are you actually up to?"_

_ The man stammered a bit. Just as he was about to answer, his superior walked in. "Mike, what is taking you so long? I thought you would have already finished this by now."_

_ "I'm sorry, sir, but this man is absolutely insane."_

_ The Doctor waved his hand. "Hello, that's me. I'm the Doctor. Tell me who you are and what you're planning!"_

_ "Well, you listen to me, Doctor. You're intruding on my ship, and I have no idea how you got here._

_ "And I'm telling you I don't know why I am here. I was going for somewhere fresh and new. We have tons of airships at home. If I wanted to be on an airship, I could have even gone to Jack's 35th stag party…or was it his 46th…or 52nd…maybe it was all of them…sorry, rambling again._

_ The man sighed and then noticed the two Pokémon behind him. "How did you fit yourself and two Pokémon into that box anyway?"_

_ The Doctor pursed his lips, contemplating his environment. "Something about this doesn't add up…" He danced for a nearby window. "I mean, look below. There's a tropical paradise right below, and it doesn't look like there are any people down there. Hardly the place an archeologist would scour." He turned back to the two men. "Who are you really?" he pressed in a cold voice dark enough to remind the two of their Boss. "Who do you work for?"_

_ The one in charge managed to stammer an answer. "W-w-well, we won't tell you because you refuse to give us an answer."_

_ Dark clouds seemed to cover his face. "This ship screams big, bad, evil intentions. And do you know what I do when I see something that screams big, bad, evil intentions? Do you know what happens to things that scream big, bad, evil intentions?"_

_ Mike fell into the trap. "No, what?"_

_ He pressed himself close to the two men. "I stop them."_

_ He glared into Mike's eyes, but the superior managed to cuff the Doctor to a nearby rail. The Doctor used his free hand to grasp a device in his coat pocket, but the cuff wouldn't unlock. "Seriously? A wooden handcuff? Who carries a wooden handcuff?"_

_ The officer sneered. "You're in no position to threaten us, Doctor." The Machamp forced the two Pokémon to the wall, allowing the superior to then take a long look at the two Pokémon. At first sight, they seemed to be his, given their collar and bracelet. But when he looked into their eyes, he saw a fire that only could belong to wild Pokémon. "Hold on…these aren't captured Pokémon…they've got that wild fire in their eyes!"_

_ A dark grin crossed his face, and all their eyes widened in fear. The Ninetales and the Charizard, or Amy and Rory as the Doctor referred to them, attempted to escape, but the Machamp named Henry continued to restrain them. "Charizards are a dime a dozen, but our Boss has wanted a Ninetales for a long time." Henry chucked the Charizard across the room as the man took a ball out of his pocket. The Ninetales struggled against the Machamp, trying everything from fire attacks to biting, but nothing worked. "Say hello to your new home."_

_ The Doctor's scream echoed throughout the entire ship. "NOOOOOOO!"_

* * *

Piplup suddenly woke up. "What was that?" he asked as he looked up in the sky.

"What was what?" Chimchar questioned.

"Did you really see something like Chimchar said?" Manaphy inquired.

Piplup turned to the two. "Yeah, I did…and I don't think I like what I saw…"

"So, what did you see?" they both probed.

"Well, I saw something in something called an airship high in the sky. There were two humans planning something, but I don't know what. Then, this other man, a Ninetales, and a Charizard somehow appeared on the airship, which really bothered the two men. There was also a Machamp in there who restrained the Pokémon, and one of the men took out a Poké Ball. He was about to use it on the Ninetales when the vision ended…"

Chimchar observed the Poké Ball again, but it didn't seem like it could have ever contained a Pokémon. "Well, I can't tell at all whether that was from the past or the future."

Manaphy couldn't make sense of it either. "It's certainly the strangest scene I've ever heard of. If it wasn't you who had it, I might not have believed it."

"Were there any names?"

Piplup nodded. "One of the two men I first saw was called Mike Smith, though I'm not sure how useful that might be. The Machamp's name is apparently Henry, though the humans call him Phil. The Ninetales was apparently called Amy, and the Charizard was called Rory." He paused before continuing. "Now, the human who pulled out the Poké Ball never gave his name, and the final man is the most peculiar of them all." Another pause. "Apparently, he's called the Doctor."

Manaphy's eyes widened. "Did you say 'the Doctor'?"

"Huh? Do you know him?" Piplup asked.

"No, but Mr. Walrein once said something about a man who calls himself the Doctor. I don't exactly remember the details of that lesson, though…"

"It's okay. Now the man's attire seemed to be strange by human standards, but that's not what's really weird about him."

He paused, and Chimchar took the bait. "Okay, so what is so weird about him?"

"Apparently he can understand Pokémon."

"But what's so weird about that?"

Piplup sighed. "Do you remember, when I first met you, how I was surprised that you talked to me?"

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with it?"

"Humans aren't supposed to be able to understand Pokémon, but Amy, the Ninetales, referred to him as an alien…"

Manaphy's eyes narrowed. "You mean, like Deoxys?"

"Yeah…hm…this ball has given us more questions the answers…"

They all wondered what it might have meant until Manaphy pointed out that the sun was beginning to set. They stared at the shades of orange turning to red before fading into the darkness. It was far past the proper time to head back. Piplup jumped into the water with Chimchar on his back. Manaphy swam alongside them, and they got back to the beach. Manaphy was about to leave for where he normally slept when both Piplup and Chimchar grabbed him.

"Manaphy," Piplup started, "it's pretty late out."

"Why don't you stay with us tonight?" Chimchar continued. "It'll be just like old times."

Manaphy smiled, and they all slowly walked back together. It was the sight of a somewhat strange yet completely normal family, though their minds were still hampered by the enigmatic vision Piplup had.

* * *

_"You two have to go, now!" the Doctor screamed._

_ Amy and Rory refused to budge as they continued to fend off the attackers. "Forget about it, Doctor!" she exclaimed. "There's no way we're leaving you behind with these people!"_

_ "Why can't you just ride on my back?" Rory asked. "I could easily take you and Amy and fly us out of here!"_

_ The Doctor stopped what he was doing, which, at the time, was trying to unlock one of the doors of the craft. "Are you insane? If we all went at the same time in the same place, they'd be able to catch us all before we could get away. No, one of us has to stay behind and buy the others some time if we are all going to get out of this alive and safe."_

_ "Can't we take the TARDIS?" they both pleaded._

_ The Doctor shook his head. "The TARDIS is on Emergency Protocol Five, meaning that we can't get back to it until we've sorted everything out." His device finally finished its work on the door, opening a way out. However, at the same time he had done so, Amy was hit by a Stone Edge attack. The force from the critical hit knocked her out of the craft into the open skies._

_ "AMY!" Rory wasted no time dashing off to catch her. Before he could get off, though, a Thunderbolt attack struck him, and he fell._

_ The Doctor's face was full of dread before being replaced by regret. He sealed off the door, praying that the two would find safety. Right now, he had to buy them time to escape. The two men appeared, along with a Golem and a Raichu._

_ "Well, what are you waiting for?" the Doctor spat. "You've got me." He threw his arms in the air. "Here I am!"_

_ "And where are those two Pokémon?"_

_ "Don't I have more interesting secrets? Like how I got a blue box on this ship? Take me prisoner. Torture me if it makes you feel better, but, and this is your one warning, leave them alone!"_

_ The superior sneered. "No matter. We'll just go after them now."_

_ "Not if I can help it!" The Doctor activated his device, and the ship shook violently._

_ "What have you done?!"_

_ "I've disabled your ship's ability to remain suspended in the air. We're going to crash and burn!"_

_ "You're insane! You just signed all our death warrants!"_

_ The Doctor looked them straight in the eye. "I know." He looked outside and gave a smile, apologetic smile. "Good luck," he murmured as the ship rapidly approached the ground._

* * *

Sweat was evident on Piplup's entire body as he jolted up. The dream he had had was definitely an unusual occurrence. The last time his dreams had told him anything, they were actually nightmares manipulated by Darkrai. It had never been about something he had seen with the Dimensional Scream. Questions bombarded his mind. Was the dream another part of the Dimensional Scream? If so, where were the two Pokémon now? What were the two men planning that was so important? And who was the Doctor?

He looked up and realized that it was still the middle of the night. Chimchar and Manaphy were still fast asleep, and he knew that he should go back to sleep, too. The rest of the night was void of dreams for him, though. Thus, it was also void of rest. When the other two finally woke up, Piplup looked like he hadn't been able to sleep for hours.

"Good mor…uh, Piplup?" Chimchar said. "Are you okay?"

"Just peachy," he sarcastically replied. "No, I had a vision, and I couldn't get any rest afterwards."

"Really?" Manaphy asked. "What happened?"

"It was them again. The Doctor and those two Pokémon again, Amy and Rory." They listened in as Piplup described how the Doctor sacrificed himself to save them.

"Who is that man?" Chimchar wondered aloud as Piplup finished. "He cared about those two more than he did himself…"

"Maybe we'll find out more today," Piplup mused as he got up. "Come on, then. We should go to the Guild to see if there are any new rescue requests or other missions to do. We might even find something on the way!"

They nodded and joined him. When they got to the Guild, they noticed that no one was on the main floor where exploration teams gathered to take jobs and where Chimecho would be to gather the members of the different teams.

"That's strange," Chimchar stated. "I wonder where everybody is…"

Piplup saw someone climbing up the ladder. It was a brown, beaver like Pokémon who was very familiar to Piplup and Manaphy. "Oh! Gosh! Piplup, Chimchar, and Manaphy!"

"Bidoof!" Piplup said. "What happened? Where is everybody?"

"There were two Pokémon found a few hours ago in dreadful condition! We brought them here to see if we could help them!"

Piplup and Chimchar looked at each other while Manaphy talked. "These Pokémon…they wouldn't happen to be a Ninetales and a Charizard by any chance?"

Bidoof looked stunned. "Golly, yes they are! Do you know them?"

"No, not really," Piplup responded. "I saw them in a vision from the Dimensional Scream."

"Gosh, they must be important then! I'll take you to them now, then! They're resting in your old room like Azurill was earlier. Hurry!"

They hurried down to the part of the Guild that was restricted to members of the Guild and their associates. Rushing through the corridor that led to the quarters of the members, they ended up at the end. This was the room where the two had stayed when they first became members of the Guild. It was big enough for the two of them, but, with all the Guild members inside surrounding the two small beds, it was a bit crowded.

"Hey, it's you two!" Wigglytuff said. "Good timing! We were wondering when you might show up! And, hey, it's Manaphy, too! Even better! We could all use some good news right now!"

"Guildmaster," Piplup greeted, "it's nice to see you again. Now, are these two Pokémon alright?"

He frowned. "I'm afraid not. They seem to have been injured severely. We've tried a variety of different remedies to no avail." He stepped aside to show them the state of the two Pokémon. They both appeared to have severe trauma all over their bodies. The Ninetales had large chunks of sharp rocks embedded in her body while the Charizard had burn marks from an electric shock. They looked like their bones were broken from a large fall from the sky.

"Who found them and where were they found?"

Chatot answered that question. "It was Bidoof who found them. He was in the Apple Woods to replenish our supply of Perfect Apples when he spotted them unconscious. He somehow dragged them all the way back here, a very impressive show of strength."

Bidoof blushed momentarily. "It was nothing. I'm sure anyone would have done the same."

"So, what's been done to try and help them so far?"

"Well, we tried a variety of berries," Chatot said, "but none of them seemed to have an effect. We then administered a variety of seeds, but none of those worked either. Whatever is wrong, we fear that it requires a rare cure such as a Gabite Scale or Phione Dew…"

Manaphy spoke up. "Phione Dew? You mean the same thing you gave to me when I was sick?"

"Yes, the very same. I don't suppose there is still any from that time, though…"

Everyone was surprised as Manaphy said, "Actually, I do have some. Mr. Walrein told me to keep some in case I ever got that sick again or if someone else might need it. I put it in storage a few days earlier. I'll go see Kangaskhan right away!"

Manaphy rushed out to get it and swiftly returned with a small amount of the dew. Even someone across the room could tell that the dew was a powerful remedy, which was why it was highly sought after. When Piplup and Chimchar had journeyed to the Miracle Sea to find it, they had to fend off a Gyarados who wanted to take all the dew of the native Phione. They briefly wondered how Walrein had been able to obtain even that small sample of it. Manaphy approached the two unconscious Pokémon and divided the dew between the two. It had taken a few days to work on him, but it worked its magic immediately. Their bones seemed to snap back into place. Piplup and Chimchar immediately got out all the rocks in the Ninetales as the torn skin seemed to seal itself and regrow lost fur.

Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief, and most soon departed in order to attend to their daily tasks. Only Team Poképals, Bidoof, Chatot, and Wigglytuff stayed to ensure that the two were fine. As they waited for one of them to wake up, Piplup told the two about his vision. They were told all that he knew up to that point, and they all wondered what had happened and why.

Soon, Amy began to wake up. "Oh, God, what happened?" she murmured as she struggled to open her eyes. All she could remember were rocks, pain, falling, a certain someone doing something incredibly stupid…"RORY!" She jolted up in a panic but sighed with relief when she saw him slumbering next to her. She smiled as she rubbed her paw on his belly, making him snicker a bit. "Oh, Rory, you idiot. You stupid, lovable, courageous idiot…"

Wigglytuff coughed, snapping Amy's attention to the others in the room. "Hi!" he exclaimed. "You two gave us quite a scare when Bidoof brought you in!"

She frowned. "Oh, sorry about that, and thanks for bringing us here." As he blushed, she examined the room. "Where are we anyway?"

"This is Wigglytuff's Guild," Chatot answered. "We are a group of Pokémon dedicated to helping others in need!"

Amy nodded as Rory started to get up. "My God, how long were we out for?"

"We're not sure," Bidoof replied. "I only found you last night, so I have no idea how long you were down for…"

"We were all worried about you two!" Wigglytuff said. "None of our remedies seemed to have an effect on you. It was very lucky that we had someone who had a bit of Phione Dew." He pointed to Piplup, Chimchar, and Manaphy. "These three are part of Team Poképals. They happened to have a little bit of the miracle substance, so be sure to thank them too!"

They both smiled at the small group of Pokémon. "Thanks for that, then," they said.

"It was no problem at all!" Manaphy said. "However, we do have a question that might be very important to the safety of all the Pokémon here."

"Oh?" Amy said. "What is it?"

Piplup stepped forward. "You see, I had sort of a strange vision about you two. You were on an airship with humans on board." He noticed that they looked at each other in surprise and a bit of fear. "We need to know the answer to one very important question."

"Which is?" Rory asked, though he had a feeling he already knew what it was.

Piplup leaned forward. "Doctor who?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Well, I missed my target deadline to get this in before school started. And, unfortunately, updates will likely become even more infrequent now that I really need to get my college applications in check. But I know all of you have been supporting this piece pretty well already, making this (as of September 17, 2013) my most reviewed and most favorited piece. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I do hope to get the next chapter up as soon as possible.**

* * *

Amy frowned in order to conceal her surprise. "How do you know about the Doctor?"

Piplup didn't back down. "Answer my question first. Then I'll answer yours."

Amy and Rory weren't sure exactly what they should and should not tell the Pokémon regarding the Doctor. They frankly did not know much about him themselves despite having travelled with him for such a long time. They also wondered how much would be safe to tell them as they had no idea how much even the knowledge of the Time Lord might alter the natural course of events in the world. They sure as hell wouldn't tell them that he was their son-in-law, something that even they still couldn't wrap their heads around. Still, they knew that they couldn't just leave them in the dark after they had evidently taken care of them. They then remembered that they had no idea where the Doctor was. If they were kind enough to help them, these Pokémon could help track him down before he got into too much trouble.

"The Doctor," Amy started, "is a very good friend of ours. He is a man who travels to many different places, and everywhere he goes he does everything he can to help others." She paused for a moment to read their faces. None of them seemed to hold her in suspicion. In fact, they all looked rather interested in what she had to say. "We trust him with our lives and all our friends' lives because no matter what the odds he always comes through for us in the end."

Seeing as no one seemed to want more, Rory spoke up. "Well, now that you know that bit, can we know how you even knew the Doctor? He's definitely never been here before."

Piplup nodded, but, before he could talk, there was a loud boom heard in the room that seemed to come from above. "What was that?" almost everyone in there asked. Without another word, they all headed outside to see what had happened. As they exited the Guild, they saw that there was a battle going on between two foreign Pokémon, noting that there were many other Pokémon witnessing it. Most of the onlookers, including all of the Guild members, were fixated on the black one that possessed the most horrible aura, making them feel sick just by looking at him. Those who knew his identity were horrified to see him again, especially Piplup and Chimchar.

"Piplup, look…" Chimchar murmured. "It's…"

"Yeah…Darkrai…" he finished. Both of them had hoped that, after Darkrai had disappeared, they would never have to see him again. They remembered how manipulative and destructive he had been for the sole purpose of eternal darkness. He had been terribly difficult to defeat, even with the help of his mortal enemy, Cresselia.

However, they noted that Darkrai was looking beaten up and much weaker than he had looked at any other time they could remember. It was then when they turned to face his opponent. At first glance, he appeared to be an ordinary Salamence, one that they would probably have thanked for taking on Darkrai for them. Except, his eyes were not filled with the fire that they usually saw in other Pokémon. Instead, they seemed to be filled with hatred and fury with the slightest pang of despair and regret. As if he actually didn't want to be fighting at all…

"Come on, Salamence," came a stern voice that felt devoid of any actual encouragement. "We can't let Darkrai get away again before we can test the device on it!"

Piplup and Chimchar turned towards the direction of the voice. It came from what they thought was a woman, though it was hard to tell because of the sunglasses and thick clothing the human was wearing. The blue hair seemed to fit an icy air about her that unnerved them to say the least.

"That woman…" came a voice to the left. Piplup turned and saw that Amy and Rory were fixated on her. "Don't her clothes look like the ones that guy was wearing on the ship?

"Yeah…" Rory said. "You don't think…"

He didn't finish his thought as the Salamence managed to unleash a Flamethrower attack on Darkrai that was able to knock him out. "Finally! I have you now, Darkrai!" The woman pulled out a strange, box-like device. She pressed a button, and a purple wave emanated from it, surrounding Darkrai. Piplup and Chimchar noticed that Darkrai's eyes, normally blue with a little bit of black, became a solid purple. He soon rose from the ground in an eerie fashion, as if he were merely a puppet.

The woman took out another device, which seemed to resemble some sort of headset. She put it on, making sure the microphone. "Darkrai! I am your new master! Take the powers of time and space and demonstrate your worth by blasting that structure over there!" She pointed towards the Guild entrance. Before anyone could move, Darkrai unleashed a powerful Spacial Rend on it. The building collapsed, covering the entrance to the lower floors with rubble.

The woman smiled. "The test is a success. Enjoy your freedom while you still can, you disgusting monsters! Move out!" A dark portal opened up, sucking in her, the Salamence, and Darkrai.

"What just happened?" one voice asked.

"Did you see what happened to the Guild?" another asked.

"How did a human find us?" came a third.

"What did it mean by 'while we still can'?"

"Mommy, is it going to eat us?"

Before long, the chatter erupted into a lot of commotion, everyone wondering exactly what had happened. Wigglytuff soon had enough of the pandemonium. "EVERYONE QUIET!" he yelled, drowning out all other voices. "It has indeed been a very long time since a human set foot on these lands, our homes. It is stranger still that this human was able to command Darkrai, the Pokémon who had threatened to bring darkness to the entire world. We know neither the identity of the human nor the human's intentions. However, we must remain calm and rational as we figure out the meaning behind these strange proceedings so that we all see tomorrow. Constant chatter will not bring solutions. For now, try to continue leading your normal lives as the Guild investigates these events."

General agreement seeped through the crowd, and it wasn't long after before it dispersed, leaving the Guild members, Team Poképals, Amy, and Rory. Chatot addressed the Guild. "Alright! You heard the Guildmaster! You all know what to do!"

All the Guild members, Piplup, and Chimchar nodded and shouted, "ONE! DON'T SHIRK WORK! TWO! RUN AWAY AND PAY! THREE! SMILES GO FOR MILES!"

As the Guild members dispersed to their regular tasks, Wigglytuff made sure one of them stayed put. "Hold on for a moment, Bidoof."

"Hm? What's going on, Guildmaster?"

"I think you might be needed for a special task." He turned to the rest of the gathering. "It seems like we have the strange appearance of a human whose desires seem to be malevolent at the same time this mysterious Doctor is first heard of. Now, according to our new friends, the Doctor himself is a very valiant individual, but, by the doubt expressed on their faces before, it seems like this is not the first time he has come in a time of potential danger."

"How did you…" Amy started.

"I am very good at analyzing my environment and making logical deductions. It's something Master Armaldo taught me very well when I was young. It seems to me like you know him enough to trust him yet also don't know many of his secrets. As such, we need to figure out whatever we can regarding his appearance and our current situation."

Something occurred to Piplup, and he swiftly turned to Manaphy. "Manaphy, didn't you say that you read something about the Doctor when you were staying with Walrein?"

"Yup…but I don't really remember anything about it…"

"I think it would be a good idea to pay a visit to see what information there is about him. With any luck, we'll get enough information to make enough sense about what just happened."

Manaphy smiled. "Oh, of course! I think Mr. Walrein will be happy to see us in Winter Wonderland." He paused. "Oh, you've never been there, have you?" As he saw Piplup shake his head, Chimchar took out the map. Manaphy made a mark that was to the north of the Surrounded Sea. "There! Winter Wonderland! Mr. Walrein sometimes took me to his home there to play with Ice type Pokémon. We should head there first!"

Wigglytuff spoke up. "I assume you three can do fine on your own, but I do think our friends are also curious as to how any information about the Doctor even exists here. Am I  
right?"

All the two could do was nod at that point. Wigglytuff's skills in deduction were far more than they would have guessed from his cute, fluffy appearance. He would certainly get along well with the Doctor.

"Then, you must go with them. Bidoof will travel with you as well, in case your journey takes you through a few mystery dungeons. You know what those are, right?"

They both nodded. Though they hadn't kept up much with the new Pokémon games as they grew older, they were familiar with how mystery dungeons worked.

"Good. Follow Team Poképals to the destination. Make sure you all stay safe and don't get into too much trouble." He then turned to Bidoof. "I'm counting on you to guide them to their destination. Can you do that?"

"Golly! Um…yes! Definitely, Guildmaster!" came his stuttered reply.

"Good. I know you will represent the Guild well to our friends up north." He finally turned to the Poképals. "It seems like we will be asking for your help once again. Do you mind?"

"Not at all, Guildmaster," Chimchar said. "We'll always be ready to help the Guild!"

"Well, we should get going," Piplup said. "Lead the way, Manaphy!"

* * *

The trip did not take very long. Manaphy arrived first, soon followed by Piplup and Manaphy. There was enough room on Rory's back for both Amy and Bidoof as he flew behind them. To Amy and Rory, the place looked like the inside of a snow globe. Snow covered the entire landscape, though there were plenty of evergreen trees visible. There were plenty of Ice type Pokémon running about and having fun, as if they didn't have a care in the world.

"This is Winter Wonderland, everyone!" Manaphy declared. "Mr. Walrein lives over here!" He pointed to what seemed to be a cozy igloo, and they all hurried for it. Inside they saw that there were stairs leading down. They followed the stairs and soon found themselves in a much more spacious environment. Piplup and Chimchar were struck by the paintings on the wall, all of which were probably made by an especially talented Smeargle. They depicted a large variety of different landscapes: from deserts to forests, even one of the night skies. Amy and Rory chuckled to themselves as they noticed a library that was filled with volumes of books…and included a small pool. They soon spotted a blue walrus-like Pokémon with very long tusks. He spotted them as well and began to approach them.

"Hello, Mr. Walrein!" Manaphy announced.

Walrein smiled. "Ah, Manaphy! What a surprise! I didn't expect to be visited so soon after you returned to Treasure Town. Who are your friends here?"

"You remember Piplup and Chimchar, right?"

"Ah, yes…they were the ones who first raised you." He faced them directly. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you two."

Both Piplup and Chimchar nodded and smiled. "It's nice to meet you too, sir," Piplup said. "Thanks for taking care of Manaphy for us."

"Ah, it was not trouble, no trouble at all! And who else is that with you?"

He looked straight at Bidoof. "Oh! Me?" He started sweating a bit. "I-I'm Bidoof…a member of the Guild." He took a breath to steady himself. "The Guildmaster sends his regards."

Walrein chuckled a bit. "Ah, yes. I've known Wigglytuff for a long time." He took out a small box and gave it to Bidoof. "Please give this to him. I know how much he loves them." Piplup and Chimchar smirked, knowing exactly what was in the box before Walrein had made his request. "And finally, may I know your names?"

Rory spoke up first. "I'm Rory, and…"

"I'm Amy," she finished. "Um, not to be rude, but we needed to hear something you might know."

"Hm? And what would that be?"

"We want to know how you know the Doctor."

Walrein shot a puzzling look at her before chuckling. "The Doctor? I only know that name from an odd prophecy about a terrible battle that has never made much sense to me. I doubt that such a man even exists."

Before she could retort, Manaphy spoke up. "But, Mr. Walrein, it might be important! The Guild was just attacked by a human who somehow was controlling Darkrai!"

"WHAT?!"

"It's true," Chimchar said. "But that's not all. Before she left, she issued a threat, telling us to enjoy our freedom while we still could."

"Oh, dear…perhaps there is some truth to that prophecy after all…"

Amy was getting a bit impatient. "This is all very unusual, but what does any of this have to do with a prophecy about the Doctor?"

Walrein was silent for a long time, but he eventually spoke in a quiet voice. "I'd never given much thought to that strange prophecy, but it seems as if events are taking shape to prove me wrong." He paused. "Humanity. A word that is full of contradictions…On one hand, you may see the very worst: greedy, lustful, and vengeful creatures devoid of morals and willing to do anything to get what they want, allowing others to suffer without remorse."

As he paused, Amy and Rory knew that the Doctor had met so many people who fit that mold. There had heard of a company that profited by selling a race of aliens known as the Ood as slaves. The Doctor admitted that he was not a particular fan of Torchwood, an organization that was basically set up by Queen Victoria with the purpose of defending Britain from him and other alien life. If he had occasionally disapproved with the tactics of UNIT, he definitely condemned Torchwood on more than one occasion. The worst of all, though, did not consist of a large organization antagonistic to him. No, the worst of all was a man named General Cobb. The Doctor himself hadn't told them about him; it was River who revealed someone who definitely would have fit the definition of the worst. Intent on driving his people on a planet called Messaline to victory by committing genocide against their opposition, a race known as the Hath, he was infuriated when the Doctor had managed to end the war that had spanned generations yet only lasted one week. In fury, he attempted to kill the Doctor, but he actually did something far worse. He had killed his daughter.

Her name was Jenny. She was created from a sort of cloning machine that both the humans and the Hath were using to keep up their war against each other. Though she was programmed to be a perfect soldier, Donna Noble, a very good friend of the Doctor, knew that she could break free from it, provided that she could get both her and the Doctor to realize it. He furiously denied her to be a proper child of his so that he would not feel the void in his heart of all the family he had lost in the Time War. But when he heard her two heartbeats, he could no longer deny that the existence of a proper Time Lady. When Cobb attempted to shoot the Doctor, she sped in front of him in order to save his life at the expense of her own. But even then, the Doctor had refused to take his life. Sometimes they wondered why the Doctor continued to protect humanity time and time again when there were so many people like Cobb.

The two looked up as Walrein continued the tale. "On the other hand, you may find the very best of humanity: those of kind hearts and brave souls who strive to make things better for all."

And then, they would remember. The Doctor, as he had once said, chose his friends very carefully. Whenever the mysterious man invited someone into the TARDIS, he or she was always a worthy friend. They would be the best of humanity, helping right wrongs throughout time and space and keeping the Time Lord from wandering the universe alone. Every friend became a part of his family, them more literally than other ones. Though mankind was surely flawed, they would always know that the Doctor would count on his friends, the best of humanity, in the toughest of times.

And Walrein continued. "In most of this world, Pokémon are always ready to stand alongside mankind in companionship for when times are tough. In the lands where we live, this is not the case. These lands were long ago decided to solely belong to Pokémon as a sanctuary should they need refuge from humanity. Natural formations and the power of certain guardians have long kept humans from discovering them. However, there was a Pokémon who prophesized what would happen once a human rediscovered this land. It is said that the walls of reality weakened, and a vision came to him foretelling what awaited at such a time."

"Walls of reality…do you think it has something to do with whatever created that crack?" Rory quietly said.

"I don't know, but I don't like the sound of it," Amy replied. "Now hush."

"The human will bring many more along to these lands. They will come to conquer and control all Pokémon for their nefarious purposes. They will grow strong and take the powers of time and space. Just when all will seem lost, a stranger from another world will appear in his vessel, a large blue box. The visitor will have many names to mask his own: from ominous ones like the Predator, the Oncoming Storm, and the Destroyer of Worlds to reassuring ones like Merlin and the man who makes people better. He will refer to himself as the Doctor."

Piplup and Chimchar shared a concerned look. "Destroyer of Worlds?" Chimchar asked.

"I wonder how he got that name…" The man in his vision certainly didn't look like someone who would gain such a threatening title. He hoped that he wouldn't have to find out why he had that name.

They glanced over to see Amy and Rory sharing a quizzical look, though it seemed to be for a different reason. "Merlin?" Rory said. "Seriously?"

"We'll ask him about it later."

Walrein moved to finish the tale. "The result of the great battle was something that was not foreseen. It may be presumed that an unspeakable fate would befall us should the enigmatic Doctor fail. We can only prepare ourselves for whatever will come, though I had always thought that such a thing would never happen. Of course, I was wrong regarding many things that have threatened this world." He turned to speak to Piplup and Chimchar directly. "You two have thwarted Darkrai's schemes to use time and space for his purposes. If the time of the prophecy has at last come, I at least feel assured that you will do whatever it takes to keep this world safe."

"Don't worry, Walrein," Chimchar said. "You can always count on us!"

He nodded and turned to Amy and Rory. "This is the prophecy from which the Doctor can be found. I take it you are satisfied?"

"Yeah," Rory said. "Thanks for telling us about the prophecy. At least we have an idea about what's going on, now."

"Big threat to the world that needs to be stopped by the Doctor," Amy said. "That sounds about right. All we need to do then is find him."

"Which is easier said than done…OW!" Amy had jabbed his arm, which seemed to have been very effective. "What? It is true…OW!"

"Shut up, stupid face," she said. "We'll find him. Or, he'll find us. Whichever comes first."

"But where would we even begin to look…OW!"

"Ahem…" both turned to see Piplup had had enough of their bickering. "If you're done arguing, I have a general idea of where he might be."

"What?" they both asked. "How?"

"Er…I was going to mention it earlier, but I can sometimes see things in the past and the future." At least, that's what the Dimensional Scream seemed to consist of. He occasionally wondered if there was more to it than that, though.

"So that's how you knew about the Doctor…" Rory said. "I wonder how…"

"Never mind that," Amy interjected. "You said you might know where he is?"

Piplup slowly nodded. "Well, yes and no…in my…vision he was on some sort of flying craft. He used some weird device and caused it to crash into the sea. The background seemed to look like the Marine Resort. I'm…not sure he made it…"

He carefully observed their reactions. Instead of the pessimism he had expected, their faces were resolute. "I know he made it," Amy flatly stated. "He always cheats death. I know we'll find him."

"This Marine Resort…we have to go there. Do you mind leading the way?"

"Sure, no problem," Chimchar said. "This Doctor seems to be pretty important. We should go right away."

Manaphy turned to Walrein. "Thank you for having us, Mr. Walrein. It was a pleasure to see you again."

"As it was to see you again, too. I hope to see you all again soon."

They promptly left for Marine Resort, none of them noticing a helicopter following them from a distance.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: I am supposed to be writing all these college essays for nine or so places I'm applying to. Except writing that stuff gets pretty boring pretty quickly. So, guess what I did to take a break from that? I decided to write this chapter! Strange way to relax, huh? Anyways, I really should be getting back to those essays, but I enjoy writing fanfiction a lot. I'm especially looking forward to the next chapter, and you'll see why when it actually comes out. Until then, I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

Amy and Rory could tell that something was wrong with the Marine Resort despite never having actually seen the place. Fallen trees littered the area, and there were chunks of charred metal all over the ground, as if something very large had been blown up into a million pieces. There didn't seem to be any other Pokémon around, contradicting what Manaphy had told them about a Pokémon paradise.

"What happened to this place?" Chimchar said. "It definitely wasn't like this yesterday!"

"I don't know," Manaphy replied. "I don't like it one bit. It feels like the place is dead compared to yesterday. Something awful has happened here…but what?"

"We need to find the Doctor," Amy said. "He'll probably have the answers. Look around for anything interesting, but make sure to keep your eyes out for a big, blue box." Chances were that the Doctor popped into the TARDIS to escape…unless that emergency protocol thing continued locking him out despite his need to escape. If that had happened…no, it just didn't.

"Um, I don't think we're alone," Rory murmured, breaking her stupor. Everyone turned to see several shadows in the distance. Amy squinted and barely made out the shapes of different Pokémon hidden in a jungle. She wondered why they were observing them from afar until she realized that they were probably worried about strangers in their home.

She was about to wave to them, but Rory stopped her. "I don't think that's a good idea. They don't look very friendly."

"It's probably just because they've never seen us before. We should just go up to them and tell them we're only looking for a friend."

"And since when has that ever worked?"

"It almost worked with the Silurians!"

"Key word: almost. I died and was erased from time!"

Before Amy could retort, they both saw that their friends, if they could consider them that, were staring at them in confusion. "Um, what's a Silurian?" Bidoof asked.

"Oh, don't worry about that," Amy said, hoping that none of them had caught the last part of Rory's thought.

"Did you say, 'erased from time,'?" Piplup asked.

_Great_, Amy thought._ How to explain that?_

Rory was very blunt. "Again, don't worry about it. I basically was never born, but the Doctor fixed that. Even though it was sort of his fault to begin with, he made up for it in the end." He saw something in Piplup's eyes that made him wonder if Piplup had ever heard of such a thing. He couldn't have known that Piplup indeed had erased himself from existence when he and Chimchar had first saved the world.

It was then when they heard a strange noise coming from the ocean. They turned and spotted an unmarked helicopter approaching their location. Plants rustled and momentarily distracted them. They noticed that the shadows had vanished, as if they already knew who or what was coming. They hurried to the trees, hoping that they hadn't already been spotted and that they'd be able to spy on the strangers.

The helicopter landed on the beach shortly after. Two men jumped out of the cockpit, both dressed in a dark shade of purple. _These guys are dressed in purple, just like that woman_, Amy thought. _Is she their boss or something? And what would they want here?_

She soon got an answer as one man began talking to his partner. "According to the tracer the Boss deployed, this is the general place where Manaphy is."

Her eyes widened. So did Rory's. And Piplup's. And Chimchar's. And Bidoof's. Manaphy suddenly paled, examining himself and finding a small device. "How did this thing even get on me without me noticing?" he cautiously whispered.

"Why would they even be after Manaphy?" Chimchar worriedly questioned.

Piplup motioned them both to remain silent as the men continued to talk. "I still wonder why we're coming all this way for one lousy Pokémon. It seems like a waste of time."

His partner frowned. "One, Manaphy possesses a lot of innate power, perhaps on par with the legendary Kyogre. That power would definitely help us get control of the seas much quicker, helping us achieve our aim even faster."

Bidoof let out a silent gasp. "Golly, whatever they're planning sounds very dangerous," he said.

The man continued. "And two, we have to find out what happened to the _Explorer_. All it was supposed to do was scout the area and get information on these two so-called chosen Pokémon we need in order to get Dialga."

Piplup and Chimchar turned to each other, each realizing that the mysterious group was after them as well. The scope of this project was definitely huge if they were after Dialga, possibly Palkia too. But what were they trying to accomplish exactly?

"Hey, I think I see something over there!" They all stiffened, praying that they hadn't been spotted. They were relieved to hear footsteps going away from them. "Look, there are a few Poké Balls on the ground. I think they may have belonged to that new guy, Mike." They heard him swoop down to pick them up. "That's strange, though. They seem to have been tampered with." He tossed one up into the air, and everyone saw it break apart. "What in the world do you think could have done this?"

"I don't know…" One man decided to walk around, prowling through the wreckage of the carrier. "I can't seem to find any bodies."

"Strange…where do you suppose they went?"

"I'm not sure. If they're still alive, they probably left for someplace where they could survive like…that jungle over there."

The Pokémon started sweating again, worried that they were about to be discovered at last. However, there was some rustling from somewhere that drew the attention of the men. "What was that?" They saw movement and rushed towards it, allowing the party to sigh with relief. Another set of rustling leaves was headed towards them, and a figure appeared. As light passed through to reveal his face, Piplup, Chimchar, and Manaphy sighed with relief as they recognized the Sandshrew from the previous day.

"Are you all okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Piplup replied. "Was it you who led those men away?"

"Well, it was a Mankey who actually did the work, but I was the one who suggested it."

"Do you know what happened to this place?" Chimchar asked. "It seemed to be just fine yesterday!"

The Sandshrew smiled sadly. "A lot can change in such little time. When the craft crashed onto the beach, large parts of it impacted many of the Pokémon in the area. Some were lucky enough only to be grazed, but many were unlucky enough to have them piece our bodies." He lifted his arm, and they saw a rather large scar. "Unfortunately, that was just the start. Not long after, there was a machine just like that one over there that arrived on our beaches. On it was some woman wearing purple, but even more concerning was Darkrai standing next to her."

Piplup and Chimchar's eyes widened in alarm. "Darkrai was here?!"

"And that woman, again…" murmured Amy and Rory.

Sandshrew continued. "Whoever that woman was, she was definitely strong. She ordered Darkrai to attack us, and he obeyed like a perfect slave. The thing is, it seemed as if he used the Roar of Time to decimate us. I'm no expert on legendary Pokémon, but I thought that only Dialga could use that attack…"

Piplup considered what he had said. That did sound pretty strange, considering that Darkrai had never used that move against them. Come to think of it, they hadn't ever seen him use Spacial Rend either before he used it to destroy the Guild. How was he suddenly able to summon the incarnate powers that belong to Dialga and Palkia?

"But that's not even the worst part! After she had gathered a large amount of Pokémon, she took out some sort of device that made a purple wave surround them all. Their eyes all turned purple, and she took them all with her to who knows where…"

Amy and Rory did not like the sound of the mind control device. At least, they could probably assume it was a mind control device. Was this how this woman was planning on taking over the world? By controlling all the Pokémon in the world? It was definitely an insidious and cunning plan, but then what?

"LOOK OUT!" Sandshrew's eyes widened as he saw a Wood Hammer attack headed straight towards Manaphy. He quickly pushed him out of the way, only to take it himself.

"SANDSHREW!" they all cried out. Bidoof quickly carried the injured Pokémon while the others looked for the aggressor. They soon located the attacker, a giant turtle-like Pokémon that seemed to carry a tree, some rocks, and a little bit of shrubbery on its back. It was a Torterra that had launched the damaging attack, but it had to rest after releasing so much power. Amy, Rory, and Chimchar all used Flamethrower on the assailant, causing the foe to faint.

"Torterra, return!" A red light engulfed Torterra, and it disappeared into the Poké Ball in the hand of one of the men. "We've finally got you, Manaphy. We're not letting you get away. Magnezone, go!" The man threw out a similar looking Poké Ball, releasing the Pokémon that was a strange metallic being.

His accomplice took out a Poké Ball of his own. "Tyranitar, go!" A large dinosaur-like Pokémon appeared at the same time as a sandstorm swept the area. Everyone ducked to try and get out of the damaging sands.

"How is there even a sandstorm?" Rory yelled. "We're nowhere near a desert!"

"It's his Sand Stream ability," Manaphy said. "It summons a sandstorm wherever Tyranitars appear. I'm going to try to get rid of it." Manaphy used Rain Dance, summoning enough water to completely put down the sandstorm. Hoping to use the rain as an opportunity to land a strong attack, Piplup leaped up and aimed a Hydro Pump directly at the Tyranitar. It unfortunately missed, and Piplup left himself exposed to the enemy.

"Quick, Magnezone!" the one man bellowed. "Use Thunder!"

He tried to get out of the way, but the rainstorm effectively made it impossible for him to dodge the super effective hit. "PIPLUP!" Chimchar shouted. In a hasty rage, he used Flamethrower against the attacker. Despite the rain powering it down, it still managed to deal considerable damage to the Magnezone, but the men were able to spot him.

"Tyranitar, use Stone Edge!"

Chimchar swiftly dodged the attack, but Amy, directly behind him, couldn't make it out of the way in time. Rory quickly noticed this and tried to shield her from the attack. However, being both a Fire and a Flying type, the powerful Rock type attack instantly drained him of all of his strength, rendering him nearly unconscious.

"RORY!" That Tyranitar definitely should not have done that. She reached deep into herself and managed to find the power to summon an Energy Ball attack. Drawing power from her raw fury, the attack dealt a critical hit on the Tyranitar, causing it to faint immediately. She turned to Manaphy. "Can you help him in any way?"

"I'm sorry. I don't know any healing moves, just Rain Dance, Hydro Pump…"

She quickly cut him off. "Hit him with a Hydro Pump, then!"

"What?! Wouldn't that just hurt him even more?"

"Trust me, it'll help him. Now, do it!"

Manaphy quickly obeyed, hoping that he wouldn't hurt him too much. He was surprised to see that, just like Amy had said, the attack had managed to actually give him some of his strength back, though likely not enough to help fight back. "It worked…but how?" It was then that he noticed the Flame Bangle. "Oh! Of course! The Flame Bangle takes Water type attacks and uses the power to heal Charizards! But, how did you even come across one? They're really rare!"

"Let's just say a friend knew we would need it." She silently thanked the TARDIS for being able to get something extremely helpful for that specific moment and perhaps more in the future.

"Tyranitar, return!" The man was definitely not pleased with his Pokémon's performance. "My last Pokémon…go!" He threw out a ball, releasing a Flygon. "Flygon, use Dragonbreath!"

Though it was meant to hit Manaphy, Amy resolved to protect him, not wanting them to be able to take him away. Unfortunately, the Dragonbreath was a critical hit and managed to paralyze Amy, knocking her back right into Rory. Piplup managed to get up and shoot an Ice Beam at the Flygon while Chimchar took out a Cheri Berry from the team's Treasure Bag and threw it towards Amy. Amy recovered from the paralysis as the Flygon fell, but the hit still managed to sap her of most of her strength.

"How many of these blasted things are there?" one man snarled as he sent back the Flygon. "It shouldn't be this tough just to get that Manaphy!"

"And since when could one Piplup take down a Flygon with one hit? Even with Ice Beam, it's just a Piplup! Magnezone, Thunder!"

The Magnezone obeyed, but it targeted Manaphy this time. Both Piplup and Chimchar tried to shield him, but the attack struck him too quickly. Piplup unleashed a Hydro Pump while Chimchar used Flamethrower. Despite the powerful, motivated blows from the two, the Magnezone still held firm.

"Magnezone, Discharge!"

The attack landed damaging hits on both Piplup and Chimchar, leaving Manaphy weakened and unprotected. The men approached them. "Finally, we've got you Manaphy." He took out a device similar to the one the woman had and aimed it at Manaphy. As he activated it, Chimchar summoned the last of his strength to push Manaphy out of the way and use Flamethrower in hopes of destroying the machine. He managed to do so but not before the purple waves overtook him. They saw his eyes flash purple before he fainted.

"Great, the machine is busted, and all we have to show for it is one Chimchar?"

"One Chimchar is better than nothing at all. Let's bail."

The man grunted and sent the Magnezone back into the Poké Ball. His accomplish snatched Chimchar and dashed to the helicopter. Before anyone could stop it, it took off and disappeared in the distance. "Chimchar…" Piplup and Manaphy murmured before losing all of their strength. There in the rain lay the battered and exhausted Pokémon, worried for the safety of their friend and family.

* * *

_"We're sorry, Boss," one of the men stammered. "The machine was broken, and we failed to take Manaphy."_

_ As expected, the woman scowled. "I thought it would be a simple task to find and capture one Pokémon, but clearly it wasn't. What happened?"_

_ "There were several Pokémon defending Manaphy, and each one of them proved to be nuisances," his colleague replied. "We managed to subdue them and were about to get Manaphy, but one of them busted the machine."_

_ Instead of the blistering rage he expected to face, he was surprised to see that the Boss had a guarded reaction, as if wondering if the mission had been salvaged after all. "Did you manage to at least get that Pokémon?"_

_ "Yes, ma'am," he affirmed. "The Chimchar is ours and is in the third level as we speak."_

_ He caught the woman actually wearing a smirk of victory before resuming a neutral appearance. "Show me, now."_

_ Both men stood up and led her to the elevator of the facility. As it went up, they saw the many different Pokémon now under their control, each with the identical purple glow in their eyes. The elevator stopped, and they went to open the door. The woman passed through first, noting the increase in the amount of Pokémon in the room. They soon found the Pokémon they were looking for. At first glance, they would see nothing out of the ordinary with the Chimchar, except for the purple eyes. The woman, however, knew that they had unknowingly managed to advance her plans even more than she had hoped for._

_ "This one is one of the chosen ones," she stated. "Good job, you two…we're one step closer to taking Dialga…"_

* * *

Piplup awoke to a strange environment, trying to make sense of the dream. Clearly, it had happened again. The Dimensional Scream was not making its way into his dreams, but how was that even possible? That problem would have to wait, though, as he noticed that they were no longer in the jungle near the beach. The light was restricted to what came from a hole in the ceiling. They seemed to be in a cave of some sort, perhaps the one Chimchar had explored in before this thing had even started. He had no idea how long he had been out, but he didn't feel very hungry at all. He stood up and saw that Manaphy, Amy, and Rory were with him, too. All of them seemed to be asleep, so, with nothing better to do, he let his mind think about what had happened to Chimchar.

Walrein had told of the worst of humanity, not caring about who got injured as long as they got their needs. Those two men had used the Pokémon in their possession as if they were merely tools, not caring for their health once they sustained enough damage. He didn't even think he had seen the worst from them, yet he wondered about the good in humanity. He knew that he had once been human and had been willing to risk everything with Grovyle to save the world, but how many people were like that? Did the good outweigh the evil in the end? Darkrai had been the core of two attempts to bring darkness to the world, and now he being used for some definitely despicable plot. Each time, he and Chimchar had somehow been able to triumph, but now he had been taken as well. He had Manaphy on his side, and the Guild would hopefully be able to help again. Yet, he still didn't know who Amy and Rory really were. It seemed too convenient that they showed up at the same time as the woman. He knew that he couldn't blame them for anything, especially after they had tried to help them fend off the men. However, their eyes seemed to be hiding something. Guildmaster Wigglytuff knew they had more information about the mysterious Doctor, but what were they hiding and why? Where was this Doctor, if he was even still alive? Why, truly, was he so trustworthy in their eyes?

He didn't know how long he had been pondering these things. When he drew himself out of his reverie, he saw that Manaphy had been trying to get his attention for a while.

"I said, 'Look over there, Piplup!'"

Piplup drew his attention to the few figures that were approaching them. He was relieved to see Bidoof but wondered who the one next to him was. It appeared to be a Clefairy, but this didn't seem to be somewhere there were many Clefairy would live. He could be wrong, though, and he was curious to know who the Clefairy was.

"Hey!" Bidoof said. "You two are awake! Thank goodness!"

"It's nice to see you too, Bidoof," Piplup said. "How long were we out?"

"You guys were out for about a day. This friendly Clefairy, after taking Sandshrew somewhere to help him recover, was kind enough to accompany me to where you guys were knocked out. She's been helping me take care of you guys. What happened?"

"Those two people were trying to take Manaphy away. They almost did…but they got Chimchar instead…"

"Gosh! Poor Chimchar! What do you think happened to him?"

"I don't know exactly, but I think right now he's become a part of their plan."

"Huh? How come?"

"I think I saw him in a dream."

Manaphy spoke up. "Dream? Is it that Dimensional Scream thing again?"

"Maybe…"

The Clefairy spoke up for the first time. "Dimensional Scream? Sorry, what's that?"

"Oh, well sometimes I can see the past or the future."

"That's interesting…how long have you been able to do that?"

"I'm not sure, but it's definitely been for a very long time. All I know is that Chimchar's definitely in danger…we have to find him."

The Clefairy smiled. "You seem to be very resolute about this. I admire that. It reminds me of…" She stopped her train of thought as she saw Amy and Rory beginning to stir. "Oh, they're finally waking up! Well, whatever you plan on doing, I'll leave you to it."

Piplup nodded. "Thanks for taking care of us then. By the way, how's Sandshrew doing? He was hurt pretty bad by that Torterra."

"Oh, you won't have to worry about him. He's doing better already. I should go check on him, though."

She turned around and exited just as Amy got up. "My head…" She got up and looked around. "Hey, where are we?"

"We're in a cave nearby the beach," Bidoof answered. "I've been taking care of you guys with the help of a Clefairy. She's been very helpful."

"Really? Where is she?"

"Oh, you just missed her. She had to go tend to Sandshrew."

"Ah, that explains it then. Say, where's Chimchar?"

Piplup seemed to darken. "He was taken away by those two men."

A look of deep concern seemed to take over her face. "Oh…I'm so sorry…I really am, but we will get him back."

"How? The unpunctual Doctor, who still hasn't showed up?"

Her face seemed to turn into stubbornness. "The Doctor will come, and he will do whatever he can to help."

"Then why wasn't he there? If he's so great, where is he? WHERE?!"

She didn't respond to those questions because she didn't need to. Just as Piplup had finished speaking a strange sound filled the cave. A light flashed from out of nowhere, and a blue box appeared out of thin air. When it finished materializing, the doors opened, and a man staggered out of it. Aside from the charred appearance of his skin and clothes, he looked exactly like the man he had seen after touching that Poké Ball.

The man collapsed and looked up at Amy with a smile. She didn't return it, at least not immediately. "You're late. And no, you may not have an apple."

"Good. Apples are rubbish. I hate apples."


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Full author's note will be at the end of this chapter. I don't want to spoil this chapter for you.**

* * *

The Doctor stood up, as if he were perfectly fine. "Permission?" he asked as he glanced at the still groggy Rory.

"Granted," he murmured.

He gave a mock salute to him and stooped down to Amy's eye level but did not hug her like he normally would have. Instead, he reached around her neck and began rapidly rubbing through her fur. It was definitely something she was not use to experiencing. She felt both energized and relaxed, how she could be both at the same time she didn't know. "Doctor, what are you doing?"

"An old trick used to pacify all types of vulpine beings in the universe," he answered. "And it seems to be working on you right now as well."

"Doctor! I've had enough!"

Despite her protests, he continued this for a while longer before moving on to Rory. "And look at you, Rory. All big and strong…come here!" He attempted to give him a hug, but he failed to reach a height where he could wrap both arms completely. Rory still returned the gesture of friendship, but he accidentally crushed the Doctor in the process. "ACK! Please let go, Rory." He quickly released him, allowing him to gasp for air. "Blimey…I forgot…how strong…you are now…"

He finally noticed the group of Pokémon who could only stare at him. He promptly recovered and straightened his bowtie. "Oh, hello there. I'm the Doctor."

"…You're the Doctor?" Manaphy asked with a somewhat disappointed tone in his voice.

"Yup! You didn't seem so enthusiastic, though. Why?"

Bidoof talked instead. "Wait, you understood that? Humans aren't supposed to understand Pokémon."

"Well, of course I did. I'm not human. I'm Time Lord. Now, why do I not seem to be well regarded by you three?"

"Why?" Piplup asked.

The Doctor frowned. "Sorry, what?"

The pain and fury that had built up in Piplup was released. "WHY?!" he yelled, which echoed through the entire cave and almost ruined everyone's hearing. "They took Chimchar, my best friend and my family. And they're not going to stop; they're going to keep going and going, tearing apart friends and families all over. Why does it have to be this way? If you're so feared as the Oncoming Storm or the Destroyer of Worlds, how come it's taken you so long just to show up?" He knew he was being very accusing and incendiary, but he wanted to know what this man was worth.

The Doctor was silent for a moment, letting Piplup calm down. He didn't know how a Pokémon he had never met knew those two names, but he decided to ask later. "I'm sorry," he started in a somber tone. "I truly am sorry for what happened to your friend, but I swear I will do whatever it takes to get him back." And despite Piplup's obvious anger at him, he understood it and attributed it to the loss of this Chimchar, who he must have regarded very well to consider him family. The Doctor knew the lengths he would go to for the sake of his friends, perhaps even more so with Amy and Rory, his first actual family in so long.

"How do I know if you can or if you will?" He intended it to be as hostile as he could muster, but all he really wanted was to get Chimchar back safe and sound.

"You have my word on this," he said with a smile. "Trust me. I'm the Doctor."

Piplup frowned. "No…after what's happened in the past few days, I can't just take your word at face value."

The Doctor looked rather disappointed. "So, what will it take for you to trust me?"

Piplup paused before responding. "I want to see your past. I have to know if I can trust you."

"You want to look into my time steam? And how do you plan on doing that?" The Doctor was getting very interested.

"I can see the past sometimes if I touch a special object," he said, unafraid to mention the Dimensional Scream.

"Interesting…what sort of object would you need?"

"I need something with a history. Anything that would tell me enough about you to trust you, preferably from someone who isn't you."

The Doctor reached into one of his pockets. "Catch."

He threw out a piece of metal, and Piplup reacted quickly. It appeared to be in the shape of a small icicle. "Er…what's this?"

"Shard of the Atraxi. It came from a group of beings who wanted to incinerate a planet that hadn't provoked them. I think it should suffice."

Needless to say, the familiar sensation began to overtake Piplup. "Urk…that feeling again…" He collapsed to the Dimensional Scream, hoping to get definitive answers to his questions.

* * *

_"Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence, or the human residence will be incinerated." The Commander had sent this message to the humans and given them twenty minutes to respond. This message had been repeated for the past eighteen minutes with almost no sign of recognition from the primitive species, and the squadron was ready to execute them for harboring one of the worst criminals to the Atraxi. They didn't really care whether or not they would have to carry out their threat to destroy them as long as they managed to destroy Prisoner Zero. He had escaped their midst for so long; the only reason they were this close to finishing him off was because they had followed the signal from the man in that little girl's bedroom. Their patience had worn thin, and they eagerly awaited his end._

_ It was then when they picked up a message from the humans. Posted on every single electronic board was the number zero. Clearly, someone had finally decided to answer them, and it appeared that they had Prisoner Zero. The Commander analyzed the primitive technology around the world and found that the message was caused by a virus that had originated on a device in a hospital in the country known as England. The Commander immediately went over there, searching for Prisoner Zero in the building. They finally spotted him just as he was about to attack some man wearing tattered, blue clothes._

_ "Prisoner Zero is located. Prisoner Zero is restrained." Following the psychic paper was a brilliant idea, and it had paid off. The Commander departed, and the squadron followed. They were only a few light-years away when a transmission came from the source of the virus._

_ "Oi!" a voice yelled. "I didn't say you could go! Article 57 of the Shadow Proclamation. This is a fully established Level 5 Planet, and you were going to burn it? What? Did you think no one was watching? You lot, back here, _now_."_

_ Great, some agent wanted to deal with them. He probably wanted to extort something from them in exchange for not reporting the Atraxi to the body in charge of upholding Galactic Law. The Commander went back to the planet, specifically the hospital where Prisoner Zero had been captured. There stood three people. Quick scans showed two humans. The first was probably an employee at the place, given his ID. The second seemed to be some sort of law enforcement, though her uniform didn't seem to be exactly the same as the local authorities of this town called Leadworth._

_ "So, this was a good idea, was it?" the woman asked. "They were leaving."_

_ The one that really caught the Commander's attention was the man whose shirt clashed with the assortment of neckwear he seemed to be trying on. "Leaving is good," he said. "Never coming back is better." He addressed the Commander. "Come on, then! The Doctor will see you now!"_

_ He definitely fancied himself a lot to call himself the same as the man who saved the universe time and time again. A quick scan told them that, despite his humanoid appearance, the eccentrically dressed one was definitely nonhuman. "You are not of this world," the Commander simply stated. A more sophisticated scan was already in progress to determine his exact species._

_ "No, but I've put a lot of work into it," the man responded. He took some of the ties around his neck and threw them away. The other man caught them and placed them atop his pile of clothes._

_ "Is this world important?"_

_ "Important?_ _Six billion people live here, is that important? Here's a better question for you: is this world a threat to the Atraxi?" No response. "Come on, you're monitoring the whole planet. You know everything there is to know up until this point. Is this world a threat?"_

_ The Commander opened files on Earth history. Humanity was striving to find its way into the stars, but it had only just scratched the surface of possibility. "No," the Commander admitted._

_ "Are the people of this world, at any point in history, guilty of any crime by the laws of the Atraxi?"_

_ A closer look at those files. At many times in human history, humans had waged deadly, cruel wars against each other. And yet, there were so many more who strived for peace, education, and general well-being for each other. There were innovators who had brought upon the planet so much advancement in medicine, technology, and so many other fields in such a short time._

_ "No."_

_ The man was poised for the kill. "One more, just one. Is this world protected? Because you're not the first to have been here. Oh, there have been _so many_!"_

_ A different set of files was opened, listing the races who had come to this planet in hopes of taking it over. There were the Daleks, the foul beings from Skaro that wanted to exterminate all life in the universe, most recently having attempted to obliterate all creation. There were the Cybermen, who wanted to make all living beings like them. And then, there were the Sontarans, the creatures of war who had tried to convert Earth into a breeding ground for billions of soldiers. All of a sudden, pictures of so many different species appeared, each with its own motives for conquering the planet. The Commander couldn't believe that so many had tried and failed to conquer the vastly inferior humans._

_ As the pictures kept on coming the man asked one more question. "And what you've got to ask yourself is: what happened to them?"_

_ One final set of files. There was an old man who was tired of his home planet, Gallifrey. He had stolen a Type 40 TARDIS and taken his granddaughter to see the universe rather than to just read about it. Then, another, slightly younger man. He had interfered with the fate of the universe, and his people punished him for it by taking his life. Then, a man who had become involved with an organization called the Unified Intelligence Taskforce. He was on the planet against his own will, but he soon learned to love it as his second home. Then, a slightly younger man with a strange, colorful and ridiculously long scarf. It was stranger that he was accompanied by a woman who was wearing a pink version of his outfit, scarf included. Perhaps the strangest part of all was the fact that a computer had just told him to marry her, and he actually proposed to her._

_ A much younger man took his place. For some reason, he was particularly fond of a piece of celery, which he always kept on his cricketer's jacket. He and a young woman had been poisoned, and, with only one antidote available, he gave it to her. There was another man who always wore mismatched clothes. He had met with a dark version of himself, and he resolved to ensure he would not become that man. And now an older man who had taken in a young orphan. He eagerly taught her the ways of the universe, though he certainly had his motives for her. Her strength was revered by many; she had even defeated a Dalek using only a baseball bat. Then, a younger man whose record of existence was uncertain. He urged people to seize life rather than stand idly by and helped them be their best._

_ The penultimate file was of a man hardened by the raw cruelty of war, the very worst one that had ever happened that had caused him to forsake all of his personal beliefs for the sake of all life in the universe. His feelings and affection were buried deep within, but a young woman managed to resurface them and make him better. For this, he was indebted to her forever, best shown when he had sacrificed himself to save her life. Finally, a young man who had many different friends, including an immortal man, a woman who had fallen in love with him, and a woman who had been able to match his wits. They together had done so much, saving all of creation from being wiped out on numerous occasions. He saved a man's life as his final act and saw his friends one last time before he met his end._

_ Ten different faces. Ten different personalities. One man. One name…_

_ The man stepped through the final image, fully clad with a tweed jacket he had picked up and a red bowtie. "Hello," he whispered, "I'm the Doctor."_

_ The scan confirmed it, and the Commander's eye widened in alarm. He was the Doctor, the last Time Lord in the universe at the age of 907. He was the one who took it upon himself to bear the greatest burden and commit horrible atrocities so that all in the universe might have a chance to live. He alone stood up against the monsters his people had become and destroyed them so that all of time and space would not cease to exist. Personally, he was a charitable man who abhorred violence and sought to right whatever wrongs he could. To those who targeted the weak or the innocent, he offered one chance to repent or else suffer his consequences, best summarized by what he had done to the Family of Blood. And right now, the Atraxi had just threatened to burn humanity to ashes…_

_ "Basically…" he said with his arms outstretched pointed towards the sky, "run." The Commander didn't need to be told twice. Speedily departing from that planet, the Commander noted that Earth was under the protection of the Doctor, and the Atraxi were not welcome because of their threat. Feeling lucky to have gotten off with merely a warning, the Commander would ensure that Earth would remain off their plans._

* * *

Piplup woke up with a start. "Whoa…that was…intense…" He didn't know who the Atraxi were, much less Prisoner Zero. The only thing that was really important was how high the Atraxi had regarded the Doctor despite drawing his ire. According to that Commander, the Doctor bore such a terrible burden for the good of so many others he didn't know. He still didn't think he could fully trust the mysterious man, but he could confide in him enough for the sake of his friends, his family, and his home.

"Are we good?" the Doctor asked.

He stared at the Time Lord for a moment before nodding. "Alright, Doctor. But mind you, I don't trust you completely. I only trust you a tiny bit."

He belatedly wondered if the Doctor would take offense to his tone, but the Doctor just grinned. "That's all I need."

He was about to go off about why he had been late when something occurred to Piplup. "Er, Doctor? I was wondering…who were those two people with you at that time?"

Piplup noticed the immediate change of expression on both Amy and Rory, but the Doctor seemed eager to talk. "Ah, those two. Well, the nurse you saw is a very good friend of mine who, despite his young appearance, knows what it's like to live for a very long time. He's a very loyal man who waited 2,000 years to keep the woman he loved safe. Nothing can keep him down, not even death…hell, not even the end of the universe would stop him from being there for her."

"The policewoman," he continued as Piplup saw a momentary smirk cross his face, "is the woman he fell in love with. She was a fiercely independent woman who, at the same time, possessed a compassionate heart that allowed her to see things even my eyes would miss. People who were lost or forgotten would always find a friend in her; she kept all of them in her heart, no matter how difficult it would be. And although she had spent her childhood hoping that a daft, old, raggedy man would be there for her, she grew up to realize that the only man she truly needed had been right beside her all along."

Piplup glanced at Manaphy and Bidoof. Both of them were completely lost; the Doctor's words were more gibberish than actual descriptions. And yet, he felt that he understood how highly he valued those two people, and he saw the look of relief on their faces. It was comforting to know that there were good people and that they were right in that cave, though he decided to keep the fact that he had figured it out a secret. He allowed himself to smile.

The Doctor took it as a sign that it was time to get back to the present. "Right, so, we've got ourselves a mysterious organization that wants to take over the world. Nothing that I haven't ever dealt with, but I want to know what you know so far. All I know is that their lower level personnel aren't very nice. Lots of pain in that crash, but, thankfully, the TARDIS was there for me. She even picked those two up, although they're probably wandering the corridors right now…sorry rambling again. Anyways, Amy, Rory, what have you got?"

"Well, Doctor," Amy said, "right now we've got next to nothing. Whatever they're planning involves some form of mind control. Their leader, some woman who seems to be fond of the color purple, is somehow able to use it and is raising an army of Pokémon for some reason."

"She also seems to be going after powerful Pokémon," Rory said, picking up from where Amy left off. "She apparently wants the power of time and space, Manaphy, who has great power over the sea, and two Pokémon called the chosen ones."

"Time and space, that could be a very big problem. Manaphy, we have that advantage. Chosen ones…some prophecy of some sort?"

"The chosen ones may have meant Chimchar and me," Piplup said.

"What?" Amy asked. "Why? How come we didn't know about this?"

"Never came up, I guess. I should probably tell you about what we've been able to do together."

For some time afterwards, the Doctor, Amy, and Rory listened as Piplup, Manaphy, and Bidoof told the story of how Piplup and Chimchar had saved their world twice from Darkrai's attempts to change their world into a pit of darkness. They all were impressed by their will to persevere despite the tremendous odds against them. Amy and Rory noted that the Doctor hadn't interrupted his story even once. Perhaps that was because he was considering how Piplup described the reason he was still alive and Darkrai's sudden powers of time and space.

"So that's why they took Chimchar, then?" Amy said. "They need him so they can take control of Dialga?"

"That's what I would expect," Piplup replied gravely. The Sacred Land where Temporal Tower was located was only open to him and Chimchar. "If they're after Dialga and Palkia, they would need one of us on their side."

"But that still doesn't explain how powerful that woman is," Rory stated. "Doctor, how is it possible for that woman to be able to control such a dangerous Pokémon as Darkrai. I don't think that some machine could have such power."

"Yes…well maybe…I don't know," the Doctor said. "It might be possible to have such a machine, but mind control is very glitch and unreliable. It takes a tremendous amount of power to get it to work. The question is, where did that power come from? But first, I'm curious as to how you have this Dimensional Scream ability. Let me take a look."

He took out his trusty tool. "What is that thing?" Piplup asked.

"Sonic screwdriver. Very important thing, never leave home without it." He pressed a button to scan him. Moving it up and down and then drawing it back to read the results, the Doctor had a puzzled look on his face. "Very interesting readings…I'm picking up a lot of vortex energy from you. The thing is, it's not pure vortex energy. If it were, you would have burned up by now; nothing is meant to carry pure vortex energy except a TARDIS. What I see is filtered vortex energy, something that's already been processed by a TARDIS. Specifically, mine. How did that happen…?"

"Doctor?"

He turned around to see Bidoof had asked for him. "Hm? Yes?"

"Absolutely nothing you've said has made sense to either Manaphy or me. What's going on? How did Piplup suddenly go from yelling at you to working with you? Who are you?"

The Doctor pursed his lips together. "Ah, I forgot. The most important part of this whole thing would be the TARDIS: Time and Relative Dimensions in Space. She's my transport all across time and space and…rambling again, aren't I?" He saw the blank stares and tried a different approach. "Well, perhaps the best way to tell you is to show you." He snapped his fingers, and the doors of the blue box opened. He gestured for the Pokémon to enter. Bidoof cautiously stepped through the doors and gaped at the sight of the interior. Manaphy followed his example and stared in a reverent awe. When Piplup came in, he felt that there was something familiar about it, though he couldn't quite tell why.

The Doctor strolled in along with Amy and Rory. "So, first impressions? Any lasting words for posterity?"

"…It's bigger on the inside…" was all Manaphy and Bidoof could manage.

The Doctor smiled. "Now, THAT is how you do it! So, Piplup?"

"Somehow…I feel at peace here…" He paused and turned towards the Doctor. "There wouldn't happen to be a swimming pool around, would there?"

The Doctor smiled at the curious statement. "Hm…interesting reaction. I want to know why you reacted the way you did. But before that, I also want to find out more about this woman. I entered some data into the TARDIS databank based on what you were able to tell me, and I have a match from the Sinnoh region. We're going to go find some answers to who this woman is." With that, the Doctor raced to the controls, pressed a lot of different buttons, and pulled the lever. The best sound in the universe emanated from the console as the TARDIS began taking off for the Sinnoh region, where, hopefully, there would be some answers.

* * *

**Author's Note: I've got this note at the end this time because I didn't want to spoil the Dimensional Scream scene any more than I already had. Since the beginning of this story, I'd been looking forward to writing one of my most favorite moments in Doctor Who. I thought that it was the perfect way to pay homage to all the actors who had previously taken up the role while cementing Matt Smith as the 11th Doctor.**

**Now, I've definitely been writing this a lot more than I have my essays in the past week or so. I will likely not be updating for a while. Even once I am done with college essays, I'll probably try to shift my focus to my other Doctor Who crossover, The Mystery of Terra, because I have been largely ignoring it. I thank the many readers who have shown a lot of support for this piece. Without it, I probably would not have even gotten this far. However, I also must take into account the readers who have been patiently waiting for an update on The Mystery of Terra for a while now. I do hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope to get back to this as soon as possible.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Since I've finally finished with my early round of applications, I figured I had enough time to whip up a few chapters for my stories. Not much of an exciting chapter this time around, but there are a few developments in this chapter. So, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

As he stepped into the unassuming building that housed the new headquarters of the International Police, Looker wondered to himself how he had managed to get into his current position. He had certainly undertaken many cases, but his most recent investigation of Team Galactic was definitely the most important one had ever done. It certainly wasn't everyday a guy had to deal with a group that could have actually destroyed and reshaped the entire universe. He chuckled at how absurd that thought sounded, but his superiors knew the gravity of the situation and of how he had handled it, providing guidance to that young Trainer who, along with Cynthia, managed to defeat their leader. He himself saw to it that Team Galactic would not live on to continue its terror, learning from the organization's mistake in not actively pursuing the members of Team Rocket after they had disbanded for the first time.

The sound of the elevator broke his train of thought, and a familiar face greeted him. "Good morning, Looker," she said.

"The same to you, Officer Jenny." He always wondered why so many of the people in the force happened to be from the same family. Of course, few of them were actually named Jenny, but it was much easier for citizens to think that they were all the same person so that they would have a solid figure to look up to.

He walked towards his office, silently hoping that something would happen that would allow him to get out of it and get back into the field where he was truly in his element. He didn't expect it to happen so quickly though. A strange noise enveloped the entire building, and he looked up to try and find the source. What he found was a blue police box appearing out of thin air. For a moment, no one in the building moved, except for those who were so dedicated that they had blocked out the noise entirely. All he knew was that this would not be an ordinary day. His suspicion was confirmed as a strange man exited the box, clad with a tweed jacket and a bowtie.

* * *

"And we're here!" the Doctor announced as the landing noises of the TARDIS sounded. Not used to the way the box travelled, Piplup, Manaphy, and Bidoof lurched forward as they landed. The Doctor ran to the front door before turning back to caution his passengers. "Just remember, and I mean it, don't wander off. It's going to be hard to get these people to cooperate with us if we're all over the place. Stay close to me, and, whatever you do, don't wander off."

As he turned to open the doors, Amy nudged Piplup. "Oh, don't worry. We are definitely going to wander off. It's the only way things get done around here."

He nodded, happy that she had the right spirit about this sort of thing. Every instinct inside him told him that he just had to explore this whole new region of the world where humans and Pokémon actively interacted. He was wary of any like that mysterious group, but he decided to hope that enough people were like Amy and Rory.

The Doctor stepped through, soon followed by Amy and Rory before Piplup, Manaphy, and Bidoof finally went through. They found themselves in a structure that was very well lit, making them assume at first that the destination was in an abnormally bright location. However, Amy and Rory quickly noticed that there were no windows in the place, indicating that they might be underground. Looking around, they saw that there were many people dressed in blue uniforms. Strangely enough, most of them seemed to be women who looked completely identical, each having the same face, the same hairstyle, and the same eye color. They realized that most of them were staring dumbfounded at the TARDIS, but there were a few who were continuing to work.

Amy and Rory soon found the Doctor, who seemed to be interrogated by a man in a brown overcoat. He seemed to also be wearing a dark brown suit and a white dress shirt within the overcoat. The man was wearing a purple tie and had black leather shoes. He seemed to be fuming at the Doctor, perhaps because he wasn't giving any straight answers to whatever questions the man had. As they got closer, their voices became more audible.

"And I'm not buying your alibi!" the man practically screamed. "You don't even have proper identification!"

"Of course I do!" the Doctor retorted. He pulled out something from his pocket. "See? I'm the head of an experimental means of transportation, known by my alias: the Doctor."

"That's some old guy's library card!"

The Doctor frowned as he looked at the card. "Ah…yes, I forgot to get rid of this old thing…." He promptly tossed it into a waste basket nearby and took out his psychic paper. "There you are: me, the Doctor. UNIT's scientific advisor, ready to help whenever I can."

The man took a look at what he thought were legitimate credentials and sighed. "Alright, alright. It's just a bit suspicious for that box to just appear out of thin air right inside our headquarters."

"Well, I wasn't aiming for anywhere in particular, but at least it's a place with air in it. Speaking of which, where is this place?"

"You are in the Sinnoh headquarters of the International Police. My name…no, my code name is Looker. I have seen many cases, some of which threatened to destroy the balance of the world."

"Balance of the world, eh? Sounds like a tough job to keep the eccentric ones in check." He knew very well of the task, but he wanted to see how the man felt about his role.

"Yeah, it is a tough job, but I get to travel to so many different places and meet many people along the way." He didn't notice the Doctor smile at that response. "I remember these kids I met while I was investigating the activities of Team Galactic…"

The Doctor grimaced as Looker went on about some children who probably had no stake whatsoever in the homeland of Piplup, Manaphy, and Bidoof. Amy and Rory turned their attention to the Pokémon. They seemed to be gathered around some sort of facility with various other Pokémon. As they approached them, it seemed to them like there were many different rooms with different environments. Bidoof appeared to be relaxing in a meadow-like environment along with many Grass type Pokémon and several other miscellaneous ones. Manaphy seemed to be at peace in an ocean, swimming by schools of Remoraid and several other Water type Pokémon. Evidently, both of them had decided to explore the facility and found places suited to them.

Piplup did not seem to follow that idea. They saw that he was busy talking to a Growlithe in a mountainous terrain. They approached them to overhear their conversation. "What are the people like here?" they heard Piplup ask.

"Oh, they're very nice," the Growlithe said. "They make sure we're all treated well so we can do our job."

"Which would be?"

"Capturing criminals all over. We mostly deal with the more dangerous forces in the world, including Team Rocket, Team Aqua, Team Magma, and, most recently, Team Galactic. Each had their own aims, from criminal mischief to benevolent intentions to flat out trying to take over the world. Sometimes, it feels like there are so many villainous people in the world, you know?"

Piplup didn't respond immediately, prompting Growlithe to continue. "Of course, there are also so many other times when we feel the impact of the good in humanity. I remember meeting this one boy who helped me out when I accidentally got caught in a trap. He nursed me back to health and made sure I was safe. And then there was this girl…"

As Growlithe reminisced, Piplup's tension slowly dissipated. By the way the Pokémon in front of him was talking about humans, they obviously were not all like that woman or her cohorts. The men and women here performed the same duties that Magnezone, the Magnemite, and, on occasion, exploration teams like his own did. It seemed to him that maybe, just maybe, humans and Pokémon were very much alike. Feeling very much at peace, he slowly nodded off as Growlithe continued to talk.

* * *

_Dialga woke up, wondering who the new arrival in Temporal Tower was. It had been so long since Piplup and Chimchar had come to stop him from destroying it and preserved the flow of time. He wondered what they might want with him, assuming it was them. He had no reason to believe otherwise; the Hidden Land was safeguarded against all outsiders, save the Chosen Ones._

_ Indeed, he was correct as he saw the familiar figure of Chimchar appear. "Ah, Chimchar," he greeted. "To what do I owe this pleasure of seeing you again?" When he didn't get a response, he wondered what was going on. "…Chimchar? What's wrong?"_

_ He studied his eyes more closely and saw the purple that had overtaken them entirely. This was certainly not a good sign. Without further warning, Chimchar unleashed an attack that caught him completely off-guard: Blast Burn. As he took the impact of the powerful attack, he wondered how it was possible that he had learned the move that he couldn't have possibly learned naturally._

_ He opened his eyes to find that Chimchar had disappeared. He hurriedly scanned the area before belatedly realizing the rumbling from beneath him. Chimchar emerged and dealt a damaging Dig attack. Dialga grimaced and attacked with the Roar of Time, sending Chimchar flying into a column but draining him of much of his power at the same time. With one eye open, he saw Chimchar unleash another powerful Blast Burn, sapping him of the last of his strength._

_ Chimchar took out something that was hidden in his scarf. It was a small machine that quickly activated, triggering a hologram of a woman. "Hello, Dialga. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. A pity we couldn't meet face-to-face, though."_

_ Although he was in great pain, he still managed to growl at the human. "You…how did you do this…?"_

_ The woman simply laughed. "Oh, if I told you, it wouldn't be a secret, now would it?"_

_ Dialga was stunned. He didn't expect her to be able to understand him, but she had given him a direct response. How in the world had this human learned how to understand the language of Pokémon?_

_ Again, the woman chuckled ominously. "Oh, so many things to wonder. How I would be able to learn about these lands in the first place, how I would be able to find and control one of your so-called Chosen Ones, what I plan to do now…and yet you were stuck on the fact that I could comprehend what you said." A maniacal laughter this time, one that caused even Dialga to instinctively shudder. "So much power that isn't used at all…imagine what could be done with all the power you possess magnified tenfold."_

_ A purple gas came out of the machine and spread in Dialga's direction. Unable to resist it, Dialga heard one last thing before blacking out. "This is only the beginning. Know that your power shall be put to a worthy cause. Mine."_

* * *

"Gah!" Piplup awoke suddenly, not realizing that sweat had appeared on his forehead. Whatever their plot was, it had to be happening fast. Hadn't it only been a little while ago when Chimchar had been captured? They had managed to defeat Dialga, but how did they even know where to look for him? The Dimensional Scream was acting up more than it had in months without any touch-based stimulus, but, with each vision that passed, he had more questions than answers.

"Oi! Are you okay?" He turned to see Amy, Rory, and Growlithe looking over him.

"You fell asleep while I was talking!" Growlithe said. "At first, I was rather offended, but you started turning and murmuring about something really bad. You were breaking out into a sweat, and you really got us worried!"

"I'm fine," he sheepishly answered. "It was just another vision from the Dimensional Scream. Whatever is happening is happening fast."

He briefly summarized what he had seen to the three. "That definitely isn't good," Rory said. "Come on, Amy. We should go find the Doctor."

She nodded. "Hey, can you make sure our friend here is all right? He still looks a bit shaken."

"Of course," came the prompt reply. "He'll be all better by the time you get back."

Assured that Piplup would be all right, Amy and Rory tried to find the Doctor again. When they found him, they knew that he was very bored at whatever Looker had been describing. He was practically asleep while the other man kept rambling, something the two weren't used to seeing since it was the Doctor who usually rambled on and on. "Anyways, they were some very nice people, unlike some of the other thugs I had to deal with in Sinnoh."

"Others?" the Doctor asked, his eyes lighting up at the potential for changing the subject to something more interesting than a group of children, regardless of the circumstances. "What do you mean?"

"Team Galactic wasn't the only group causing trouble in Sinnoh. There was this group of bounty hunters that committed various atrocities in the region. Perhaps their most sinister plot was when they sought to steal people's Pokémon, turn them into statues, and sell them to wealthy clientele."

The Doctor sighed. "Always greed with people like these, isn't there?"

The man nodded and continued. "Of course, they would take whatever jobs were profitable. They even had a hand in helping Team Galactic in its plot to reshape the universe. They had managed to capture the legendary beings of willpower, emotions, and intelligence: Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie. Team Galactic was able to harness that power and create an item called the Red Chain. They used it to attempt to summon and control the legendary Pokémon of time and space: Dialga and Palkia. They would have succeeded if it weren't for the efforts of two Pokémon trainers, each the Champion of this region's Pokémon League."

Sensing that the man was getting seriously off-topic, the Doctor attempted to direct the conversation back to what he wanted to know about. "Just curious, what about that group of bounty hunters? They couldn't have just disappeared while the universe was in danger."

"Actually, they sort of did. After the Lake Guardians were captured, the helicopter carrying their leader was shot down into Lake Valor by the Future Sight attack Mesprit and Uxie managed to pull off. With their leader presumed dead, the group's activities immediately ceased, and no one has heard of any actions by either the original members or any copycats."

"I'm just wondering, since part of my job involves investigating criminal actions, what the leader of this group looked like."

Looker suddenly frowned. "You know…you've been asking a lot of questions, but I know next to nothing about you."

"Ah, of course. Let me just say I'm a friend. I try not to meddle in the affairs of other people, but, when there are children crying, I have to get involved. I seek peace where there is war, and I shoulder the burdens of many so that they don't have to. I've done many things I've ended up regretting, but I don't think I'll ever stop doing so until I'm dead because everything I do I do to help others."

Looker processed his words for a moment before nodding. "Hm…you know, I respect you for that. It's weird…you sort of remind me of me."

The Doctor chuckled, realizing how similar the man in front of him was to his previous incarnation. "Likewise," he simply stated.

Looker led the way to his office, the Doctor, Amy, and Rory following. As he looked back, he became aware of the two Pokémon behind him. "Hm? Where did these two come from?"

"Oh, I brought them along with me. Just wanted to show them around and have a good time, although that usually leads us straight into trouble."

He decided to let the matter slide and went to his computer. He soon pulled up a picture of the leader of the bounty hunters. "Here we are," he said. "Previously Sinnoh's #1 most wanted criminal: Hunter J." The Doctor analyzed the woman, clad in a purple uniform similar to one of the men that had been on that aircraft. She matched the description he had been given of the woman who had been terrorizing the Pokémon in that isolated part of the world. He turned to Amy and Rory, and their solemn stares at the picture confirmed his conjecture.

"That woman is not dead," he said.

"What?"

"She's been hiding away, biding her time for something big."

"How could she possibly be alive? Her helicopter crashed into a lake and exploded."

"I don't know yet, but I do know that these two have seen what she's done. She's somehow gained control of a very powerful Pokémon called Darkrai. I think she's after more. For what reason, I don't know yet, but it can't be anything good." Amy tugged at his legs, motioning him to follow her. "Oh, um…excuse me for a moment." He and Rory followed her out to a place where no one else was watching. "Is there something wrong, Amy?"

"Doctor," she told him, "Piplup had another one of those visions. He said that the woman now had Dialga under her control."

"Hm…that would put the power of time in her hands. It sounds like she's taking her own approach to finish what this Team Galactic started. It's very likely that she's going to go after the guardian of space in this realm, Palkia…" A sudden realization crossed the Doctor's face, and he grinned. "Oh! But that's it!"

"Sorry…what?" Rory asked.

"Don't you see? Still not sure about the big picture, but it's very clear that there's something about the idea of reshaping the world using the incarnate powers of time and space that she likes. Therefore, we know her next target. If we can get there before she does, we have the chance to stop her before things get any worse."

"Well, where would we find this Palkia?" Amy asked.

"We ask around." He promptly rushed backed into Looker's office. "Sorry about the wait. I was just thinking about something that might help capture her. Do you have any idea where Palkia could be right now?"

"That question seems to be a bit random. How come you suddenly need to know that information?"

"Our friend seems to have been busy. She's managed to capture Dialga herself, part of the goal that you told me about. Now, assuming she wants to attain the same thing this Team Galactic had wanted, I would assume her next move would be to capture Palkia. If we know where Palkia is, we'll be able to cut her off and stop her."

He considered the Doctor's point before sighing. "A very logical deduction. Unfortunately, no one seems to know where Palkia is. It hasn't been seen ever since it had appeared in Spear Pillar, lured there by the Red Chain Team Galactic had manufactured. I would assume that Palkia would not try to return there."

"Well, that's okay. Sometimes it's helpful to know where your target isn't in order to narrow your options down. I'm going to go looking around, if you don't mind, to find out whatever else I can."

Looker looked like he was going to protest, but the phone at his desk started ringing before he could get a word out. "Hello?" he asked as he picked up the phone. "Hm…yes…I see…excuse me for a moment, sir." He looked up at the Doctor. "It seems that a new case has arisen in the Unova region. While I'd like to investigate your matter further, I think I can trust you to take care of it." He turned to his computer and hastily typed in a lot of information. He then clicked on a button, which resulted in a card popping out of a slot and a bunch of paperwork. He picked up the card and handed it to the Doctor. "This is your security clearance, Doctor. You are now officially a member of the International Police, and you have been assigned to close this case. I'll have my secretary fill out the paperwork, so all you have to do is your job. Understood?"

The Doctor accepted the card and gave a salute. "Clearly. Allons-y!"

"Um…what?"

"Allons-y! It's French for 'Let's go!'"

"Huh…I kind of like the sound of it. I think I'll start using that." He returned the salute. "Right, then. Allons-y!"

He promptly dashed off, leaving a chuckling Doctor amused at how familiar that sight was. "All right, then! Amy, Rory. Allons-y!"

He promptly ran off, leaving the two behind him slightly confused. "Since when did he get all French?" Amy wondered.

Rory only shrugged. "And we never did ask him about the whole Merlin thing, did we?"

"Oh, the things that just keep adding up every second about him. Oh, well. No use just waiting around. Come on. Let's go check up on Piplup, see if he's alright."

Rory obeyed and followed his wife to the spot where Piplup and Growlithe had been earlier. They saw that Growlithe had left, and in his place was a Chansey.

"And that should do it," the Chansey said. "How are you feeling now?"

"Much better," he responded. He then turned his attention to Amy and Rory. "Oh, hey! What took you guys so long?"

"You're not going to like this," Rory said. He and Amy relayed what they had learned to him. "So," Rory concluded, "she is basically trying to harness the powers of time and space to basically take over everything."

"Then we have to see Palkia right away," Piplup said.

"The problem is, we have no idea where Palkia is," Amy said.

"No problem. Chimchar and I fought Palkia before in his domain: the Spacial Rift. He'll definitely be there."

"Oh!" she said. "That's good to know. We'll tell the Doctor we know where to go then."

"Can you get Bidoof and Manaphy?" Rory asked. "I have a feeling we'll be leaving immediately."

Piplup nodded and immediately left, Amy turning in the other direction to find the Doctor. Rory was left with the Chansey. "Oh, dear," she said. "So much stress on your shoulders, isn't there?"

"It's nothing we haven't handled before," he flatly stated. "By the way, where did that Growlithe go?"

"Oh, after he came to bring me over here, he had to go leave with his Trainer."

There was just the slightest hesitation in there that made Rory momentarily doubt the explanation. However, he quickly shrugged away that suspicion, knowing that it was much more logical than any other possible alternative. "All right, then. I should probably be off, so maybe I'll see you around."

He took off for his wife, not stopping to hear the Chansey say one last thing quietly. "Oh, don't worry. You can be assured that we will meet again…Dad."

* * *

**You didn't think I had forgotten about River, did you? In other news, I've made yet another Doctor Who crossover called Rekindling the Flame. Check it out if you've got the time for it. And as always, thanks for showing this story your love, and I hope you all continue to do so.**


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